Genesis: Arpeggio of Blue Steel
by Palladin1337
Summary: The Fog believed they had won, that humanity would never pose a threat to them. Even with abnormalities beginning to appear in the Fleets, they were sure that their position was untouchable. Until a new enemy appears and begins devouring them whole, while a stranger lends aid to their rebel elements. Now the Fog must contend with both a Gundam, and the full potential of the ELS.
1. Chapter 1

**A note from the Author;**

 **First and foremost, I should mention that this is Part 2 in a series. While reading Part 1 might not be entirely necessary, since this is a different world entirely, I still recommend it. Even if the characters are mostly different, there are things from that first story that carry over.**

 **And with that out of the way; welcome to Part 2 of my Genesis series!**

 **Man, this chapter took a while to put together. I never expected my new job to suck up so much of my time, but that's what you get when you go to 10 hour shifts. Fear not, for I will continue this story! Also, after some serious consideration, I think I've settled on how many parts there's going to be in total (and the number makes me really wonder if I'm some kind of masochist). I've settled on about 6, which means I will get to read/reread/watch/rewatch more than a few anime/manga. I don't think it'll be too bad, since most of them are series that I quite like. But stringing them together into one overall story is going to be…fun. Yeah, we'll go with that.**

 **Also, just so you know; I'm using the manga instead of the anime for this one, since it gives me** _ **far**_ **more material to work with. Anyway, now that I've gotten that out of my system, on to the show!**

* * *

 **Dangerous Waters**

Crouching down to brace herself as the deck tilted, Astoria cringed as another wave of missiles slammed into her Klein field. Gritting her teeth, she turned her point defense guns in the direction of the newest incoming fire and blasted away at the others. The sky was filled with explosions as she destroyed scores of projectiles, but they were quickly replaced as another two volleys came screaming out of the water before arching towards her and the rest of her task force.

' _This is all wrong,'_ she thought as she tried to get some kind of handle on the situation, _'Where in the hell did all of this come from?'_

Glancing at her radar, which was still a jumbled mess from some kind of jamming, she tried to tell just how bad their losses really were. Finally, she settled for visual confirmation, and what she saw wasn't encouraging. Of the 24 ships that had been sent on this expedition, there were only 5 left standing. Kashii, a light cruiser from the second Oriental fleet near Japan; Calypso and Exeter, a light and heavy cruiser respectively from the European fleets; and Kaganovich, a Soviet Heavy cruiser. Then there was her ship, a cruiser from one of the US fleets.

The Fog had detected strange readings coming from a region on Antarctica's coast, and they had decided to assemble a force made up of ships from several fleets to investigate. And now it was down to Astoria and four other cruisers, with the rest of their ships sunk under this unforgiving barrage. They had grouped up and were attempting to carve a path out of this trap, but they were making little headway. If the constant missile strikes weren't bad enough, they were also being hammered with particle beams coming from the coastline. It was made even worse by the fact that the emplacements seemed to be mobile, since no matter how far they moved along the coast they continued to hammer the Fog ships.

"Kashii, any luck?" Astoria asked as she turned her main guns towards the latest shoreline position. Normally, they wouldn't be able to fire on land-based targets, but their current predicament made that rule more of a guideline; one they were happy to ignore for now.

"No," Kashii replied as she blew another flight of missiles out of the sky, "I still can't reach the other Fleets. Even the Mental Space isn't responding. I can't figure out what's blocking us."

"Damn…" Astoria cursed. Whoever was behind this attack had clearly planned for everything, going so far as to completely isolate the task force. How they had managed to do that was still unknown, and it didn't help matters that her radar was made of snow at the moment.

Firing a barrage at the coast, she watched as snow and ice exploded outward from her shells. Just as she thought she'd finally nailed one of the emplacements, two of them blasted her in the side in an attempt to destroy her guns. Her Klein field stopped them, but she was reaching the point of max saturation quickly. This constant trading of fire was getting them nowhere, and if they were all sunk here than the rest of the Fog would be left vulnerable to whatever the hell this was.

Slamming her hand into the deck, she cursed aloud before bringing up her navigation screen. "All ships; divert course and fall in behind me!" she ordered, "Fire off a barrage of corrosive missiles to cover us, and don't you dare slow down!"

"We're running?!" Kaganovich demanded, appalled at the idea, "You cannot seriously think that I'll-!"

"We don't have the numbers to face this!" Astoria countered, cutting her off, "If we all go down here, the entire fleet will be at risk! We have to report back."

" _Then it's too bad, cause you're not going anywhere._ "

They all heard the voice, and it made them freeze for a moment. To have someone actively jamming them was one thing, but to also have them accessing their communications…

"Who is this?" Kashii demanded, trying to get a bearing on the signal's origin.

" _Your end, little girl. I hope you enjoyed the ride._ "

Before they could push for further details, something erupted from the water just in front of the group of ships. Before the fountain of water had even fallen back towards the surface it had come from, particle beams smashed into Astoria's forward Klein field. Ignoring the fire, she began accelerating to flanking speeds while bringing her forward guns to bear on the source of fire. That was when the water to the sides of the ships erupted into similar plumes, and then things got about ten times worse.

* * *

The sun was shining brightly in a cloudless sky, and Takao couldn't help but feel her spirits soar as an island finally came into view. But it wasn't just any island, it was _his_ island. It was the rumored base of the rouge Fog submarine I-401, and more importantly her commander. As she approached her objective, Takao went over her plan again. _'All I need to do is pacify any automated defenses and lock down the port's controls,'_ she thought as she beamed in triumph, _'Once I've taken control of everything, then Gunzou Chihaya will have no choice but to accept me as his flagship. And then…then…'_

At that point, her mind started to run away with her as she fantasized about him taking her, in more ways than one. She was so enthralled by her daydream that she failed to notice her sensors reporting odd readings. However, what did get her attention was the water off her bow suddenly erupting upwards. At first, she thought that it had been a torpedo that had somehow prematurely detonated. That was, until something moved out of the plume and landed on her forward battery. The turret was crushed under the weight, and it was only then that she got a good look at her attacker.

It was a large machine built to look like a human. It was primarily white with sections of blue on the upper armor and red highlights. But what really got her attention was the face; there wasn't a discernible mouth, but the entire structure of the head almost reminded her of a Samurai's helmet. It was at that point that the machine looked up at her and the eyes seemed to flash, and that was when her mind started working again.

"What the-?!" she began as she tried to bring her second battery to bear on it.

However, the machine just lifted itself up before pulling a weapon from its waist. Before she could blast it off her hull, it stabbed a sword down into her second gun. A _sword_. The sheer absurdity of it was enough to stun her again as the machine's other arm came up, pointing its shield right at her. Then she heard the _whoosh_ of a launching missile, and she had just barely begun to bring her hands up to create a local Klein field when the missile just detonated. She was showered with a strange material, and she realized too late that it was in fact nano-material.

Then she felt her entire body convulse, and she managed to let out a short scream before collapsing and passing out. The entire encounter lasted only seconds, but it still left her in the same situation; she had been captured.

Once he was sure that the Mental Model had been neutralized, Avalon opened the Exia's hatch before dropping to the deck with his gun drawn. While he knew that there was only ever one Mental Model per ship, he still didn't want to take any chances. Although, he seriously doubted that his handgun would do any real damage to one in a fight. After giving the deck a cursory exam, he walked over to the disabled girl and made sure she was still out. He then unclipped a device from his belt before planting it on the deck and hitting the button on the side.

It immediately fixed itself to the metal, the two lights on the side lighting up and flashing in sequence as a small dish unfolded from the top. Moments later, the lights held steady to indicate that the connection had been established.

Triggering his earpiece, he asked, "Are we good?"

*The connection is solid,* a feminine voice replied, *I have control of the ship. Bringing it into port now.*

"You sure that's a good idea?" he asked as he glanced at the unconscious girl again.

*Relax, Av, I have full control of the weapons and propulsion. The most she can do when she recovers is curse and splutter.*

"Somehow, that's not reassuring," he said before cutting the connection. Turning, he watched as the ship moved closer to the island, his Gundam still perched on the nose.

* * *

Bolting upright, Takao almost cried out in panic as she came back to the land of the conscious. Looking around, she saw that she was no longer outside, or even aboard her ship. That could only mean one thing; she'd been defeated, captured. The first time it had happened, she'd felt shame and rage, but also admiration and affection. She'd never lost to a human before, _ever_ , and yet Gunzou had managed to defeat her. To top it off, he'd elected to let her walk away relatively intact. He could have confiscated her ship and stripped it for material, taken every bite of information from her database, or just sunk her and shattered her core. But he'd let her go, and that action of mercy had been enough to capture her heart.

This time, however, she only felt anger and embarrassment. She'd known that this place would have automated defenses, but she'd never expected anything like this. That machine had taken her completely by surprise, closing on her before she could raise her Klein field and crippling her main guns. The nano-material dusting to disable her had been a nice touch, although she suspected that it could have quite easily killed her had it wanted to. Pushing herself off the crate she'd been set on, she looked around the hanger she was in.

It was a large room, designed to berth three ships at once under cover. In the far berth sat her own hull, but when she reached out to it she felt something blocking her. _'So, they've seized control of my ship, then,_ ' she thought as she looked around some more. If she couldn't fight her way out, then she would have to opt for a subtler approach. However, that idea was brought to a screeching halt when she saw something else sitting within the bay.

Kneeling on the other side of the bay from her hull was the same machine that had taken her out. Its head was tilted down slightly, and the light in its eyes was gone, but there was no mistaking it. Balling her hands into fists, she felt her anger welling up as she stalked over to it. She was going to get some answers out of this thing, damnit, even if she was reduced to just her human body.

"Hey, you big pile of scrap!" she shouted as she got closer, "Just who the hell do you think you are, sneaking up on me like that?! And how the hell did you manage to do that, anyway?"

Coming to a stop before it, she crossed her arms expectantly as she waited for an answer. When she received none, her temper flared even more.

"I'm talking to you, you stupid machine!" she cried, "Say something! Answer me!"

"That won't do you any good."

"I said, say some-" she started before the new voice fully registered. Turning around to face its source, she saw that a young man had come up behind her. He was wearing white pants with black lines down the sides, a black shirt with a dark red jacket over it. He also had white hair, which was odd for a human. Shaking her head, she decided to focus more on her anger and indignation than his appearance.

"And just what would a human know about Fog weaponry?" she asked pointedly.

"Not as much as I'd like," he replied casually before gesturing to the machine behind her, "But I know quite a bit about that machine behind you, considering it's mine."

"Then why don't you just…what?" she asked, her anger deflating as quickly as it came only to be replaced with confusion, "It's yours? But…why would it…?"

Sighing, he walked past her and approached the machine in question. "You're never going to get this without a visual," he said as he brought his hand up to his ear, "Exia, enter boarding mode."

The machine's eyes flashed once in response before the hatch in its chest opened. A moment later, and the boarding cable extended down from its housing. Turning to Takao, he smirked as he saw the look on her face. It took her a while for her mind to start working again and a bit longer after that before she could form coherent sentences.

"You mean…" she said, "I was beaten…by…"

"Me," he finished, crossing his arms as his smirk grew broader, "As for how I snuck up on you; that's just one of the perks of a GN drive."

"A what?"

"Something I'm not about to explain to you," he replied as he closed the hatch back up. Without another word, he moved to walk right past her. However, Takao wasn't someone who took being ignored easily.

Grabbing his arm, she stopped him cold before saying, "Don't think you can just brush me off so easily, _human_. I can still kill you."

"And then what will happen?" he asked, not bothering to even try to break her grip, "Your hull is ours, and you're inside _our_ base. What do you think will happen if you kill me, miss heavy cruiser?"

For a brief moment, she considered doing just that. She'd only just met this human, and yet he was already grating on her nerves in a way that was only matched by her sister. But… if she killed him here, then she'd likely share his fate. If that happened, then she wouldn't get to make Gunzou hers. Gritting her teeth in frustration, she released his arm and stepped back.

"So, what now?" she asked, crossing her arms and glaring at him.

"Now, I'm going to go and grab something to eat," he said as he turned and began walking away, "Your little 'attack' interrupted my lunch, and I'm freaking hungry."

"What about me?!"

"What about you?" he replied, glancing back at her, "Go check your hull, read something, whatever it is your kind does for fun."

"My kind?" she demanded as she began following him, "And just what do you mean by that?"

"That I couldn't care less what you do with your time," he said, waving his hand dismissively, "So long as you aren't causing trouble, you can do as you please."

"Is there something you want to say to me, human?!" she demanded as she finally jumped in front of him, blocking his path.

"I have nothing to say to artificial life," he replied coldly as he brushed past her.

His response was so blunt that she was at a loss for words. Turning to watch him go, she felt her anger welling up again. But she also felt…confused. He was presumably a member of Blue Steel, but he hadn't shown any of the kindness that Gunzou had. In fact, it sounded like he wouldn't have thought twice about destroying her, no matter the circumstances. The contempt in his voice when he said 'artificial life' had almost been like a physical smack, and a part of her had to wonder just what had caused him to form such an opinion.

Deciding to leave it for now, she turned and went to inspect her hull. Even if she couldn't use it for the moment, it would be best to make sure it was ready for when she could. After a quick examination, she saw that the damage was surprisingly minimal. Aside from her two forward batteries, the rest of the ship was relatively untouched. Of course, she could only tell what was wrong visually, since even her ship's basic systems had been locked out. During her examination, she noticed that a large floating egg-shaped drone had come aboard. Of course, she just assumed it was another autonomous machine, but it was still a surprise when it spoke.

"I wouldn't read too much into Avalon's comments, Takao," it advised in a feminine voice, "He doesn't talk about his past much, but it's clearly…painful."

"I'm sure it is," she replied sarcastically, "…Wait, why am I even talking to a bot?"

"Because I'm not a bot?" it offered before the egg split.

It opened along several lines, looking almost like a flower in bloom as it revealed an older woman with a lab coat and a monocle. Takao recognized her almost immediately; the former flagship Hyuuga, thought to have been sunk in battle against the 401. Why she was here and helping her enemies was anyone's guess, and after recent events Takao wasn't sure if she wanted any more surprises.

"Wh-what are you doing here?" she asked after she got over her initial shock, "Aren't you…?"

"Dead?" Hyuuga offered as she hopped off her platform, "In a sense, I guess I was before. But after meeting my darling Iona, I felt life flow through me. How could I go back to the fleet after she'd stolen my heart?"

' _Well, that answers_ that _question,_ ' Takao thought as she watched the former flagship gush, eyebrow twitching. Shaking her head to clear it, she asked, "Were you the one that repaired my hull?"

"Hmm? Oh, yes," Hyuuga replied, "It was a rather easy fix, although I'm sure Av could have taken you without doing any damage at all. Still, he tends to be a little cautious."

"Av?"

"You've met him already, remember?" Hyuuga asked as she walked over and pulled up a status screen for the ship, "He's the pilot of the Exia; that big machine that took you out."

"I was caught off-guard!" Takao exclaimed, "That thing wouldn't last 10 seconds against me in a real fight!"

"I wouldn't be too sure of that," Hyuuga told her, glancing at her with a smirk, "It's a lot trickier than it appears."

"Just what is a human doing with that kind of technology anyway?" Takao asked, deciding to change the subject, "They don't have anything that could challenge us, so where did he get it?"

"That's…" Hyuuga began, looking up in thought, "That's a complicated issue, and I'm not sure you have the patience to listen to me explain it."

"Oh, really?" Takao asked before dropping into a seated position, "Just try me."

"Alright," Hyuuga said with a sigh as she dismissed the screen, "Just remember, you asked for it."

* * *

Finishing the last of his light lunch, Avalon made his way back towards the docks. That new Model should have finished her inspection by now, and he couldn't just leave her to poke around on her own. He wasn't all that concerned about her accessing the base's systems, since Hyuuga had everything locked to her codes. He was, however, worried about leaving her alone with the Exia. He knew that the security systems for its computer would be able to resist most intrusions for a while, but he couldn't assume that it would keep a being like a Mental Model locked out for long.

When he entered the dock again, he was relatively surprised to see that she wasn't crawling all over the Gundam in a search for answers. Instead, he caught someone else eyeing the machine like a person eyed a juicy steak.

"Hyuuga," he growled as he chopped the back of her head, snapping the woman from her thoughts, "How many times have I told you?"

Turning around quickly, she tried to wipe the small drool trail away before he noticed it. "B-But…" she began, her eyes beginning to sparkle, "It's just… oh, how can I help myself?!" She quickly collapsed at his feet, grabbing his legs as she continued, "It's just such a foreign piece of technology, Av! So simple, but so powerful! And it can operate in space, too! How can I resist that?"

"Hyuuga…"

"And the reactor!" she continued, ignoring him completely, "A nuclear power source that's practically perpetual and harnesses a previously unknown particle? Oh, Avalon, you have to let me examine this machine. Please, please, please!"

"…" Looking at her pleading face, he found it nearly impossible to say no to her. It almost felt like he was staring at a miserable puppy. Almost. "No," he said finally as he pried her arms off of him.

"But, Av!"

"Not happening," he assured her as he walked over to the Gundam, "This technology is secret for a reason, Hyuuga. I'm not going to be responsible for making things worse."

"And just how can that bucket of bolts make things worse?" Takao asked, having come over to see just what the hell was making all of the noise, "I'm pretty sure we can't make use of swords in the Fleet."

"No, but you could make use of a power source that makes flight trivial," he told her as the hatch opened, "And the fact that it gives off no heat, and naturally jams almost all sensors and communications within range. Or did you think I was just lucky to sneak up on you?"

"You were!"

"Then how have I been able to scout Fog patrols without detection?" he shot back as the boarding cable descended, "Or what about the ships that have vanished without a trace? You think they just got unlucky?"

"That was you?!" she demanded, simultaneously angry and a little intimidated. Several of the more…imaginative Models had begun to think that certain areas around Japan were haunted, considering that they'd lost several patrol boats and destroyers without any sign. The ships would simply disappear from all sensors, and whenever someone went to investigate they wouldn't find anything. That it was the work of one lone human definitely unsettled her.

"It's part of the reason that the Blue Steel has been able to stay a couple steps ahead of your Fleets," he said as he boarded his Gundam. Dropping into the command chair, he booted the systems and began to run the diagnostics. Even with two Models around, he had to make sure his Gundam was in decent shape.

"Blue Steel?" Takao asked, confused, "What the heck is that supposed to be?"

"It's the name of our Fleet," Hyuuga replied, "Under the command of our beautiful Goddess of War, Iona. Although…" Avalon could practically hear her eyes sliding away from looking at Takao in embarrassment. "…It does only have two ships in it…"

"Two ships?" Takao asked, snorting, "Seriously? It's a small wonder that you haven't been destroyed yet."

"Considering one of the ships is my Assault Container, I wouldn't get too full of yourself," Avalon called out.

"And just how did someone like you join this 'Fleet?'" Takao pressed, trying not to get annoyed that she couldn't look him in the eye.

"Someone like me?'' Avalon asked, pushing himself out of the chair so he could see them both, "Just what do you…" It took him a moment to connect the dots, but when he did the reaction was instantaneous. "Hyuuga!" he shouted, almost making her flinch, "What did I say?!"

"Well, she asked!" Hyuuga replied, "If you'd let me examine this machine, I might have been more-"

"Damnit, and you wonder why I don't trust your kind!" he shouted, cutting her off before dropping back into the chair with a hand covering his eyes, "It's bad enough you're artificial, but they just _had_ to make you women, too."

"You really don't care for the Fog, do you?" Takao asked, "Just what is it that we did to you, anyway? What could we have possibly taken from someone that doesn't even belong on this planet?"

"… It's none of your concern," he replied before closing the cockpit. Over the speaker, he said, "My Container is likely getting low, so I'm going to dock. Hyuuga, I trust you can keep an eye on our friend here?"

He didn't even wait for her to answer, instead standing the Gundam up before turning and dropping into the water. Takao watched him leave with a mix of anger and confusion. She wasn't the most knowledgeable person when it came to human emotions, but even she could tell that his anger wasn't entirely sincere. Even without knowing he wasn't from their world, she would bet that his apparent hatred of artificial life stemmed from somewhere else. Of course, what that source was exactly was a complete mystery, and even Hyuuga had admitted that none of the others in the fleet knew. They only knew that he was always on edge around her and Iona, suspicious of them in spite of their recent actions.

Turning away, she decided to return to her ship for the evening. Unfortunately for the both of them, Takao wasn't just annoyed by Avalon's attitude; she was intrigued by it. He was clearly a powerful individual, and if she could discover his weaknesses then it would give her an edge in the future. While the whole concept of 'tactics' was still mostly beyond her reach for the time being, she recognized an opportunity when she saw one. If she was going to continue to fight against these humans, she would need a greater knowledge of them. ' _So, let the game being,_ ' she thought with a smirk, sure of her victory.

* * *

Almost two days later, and the two of them were indeed facing off against each other. But it wasn't in the way that Takao had initially intended. Shifting in her chair, she examined the board in front of her again as she tried to understand what was going on. More importantly, she tried to keep her goal firmly in mind even as she reached out her hand hesitantly for one of her pieces.

Avalon had figured out pretty quickly that she was trying to pick him apart and learn what made him tick. Unfortunately for her, her technique regarding interrogation and subtly was…lacking, to say the least. Her questions had been rather blunt, her intent painfully obvious, and her excuses laughably false. When he'd finally called her on it, she'd reluctantly decided that asking for his help was her only option at that point.

Well, it was more like she commanded him to teach her, but in her mind she was asking. That's what mattered, right?

He'd considered just ignoring her request, since he had no obligation to help her. What's more, he didn't like the idea of making a potential enemy more capable on the battlefield. However, after almost a full day of badgering, he relented. If nothing else, he would get a true measure of how Fog Models operated. After instructing her to wait in the dock, he had gone in search of the perfect instrument. And when he'd found it, he couldn't help the slightly evil grin that came to his face. When he had returned to the dock and placed the board and pieces out on one of the larger crates, she'd looked at him like was crazy.

"Chess? Really?" she asked, crossing her arms as she arched an eyebrow.

"You wanted to learn tactics," Avalon had told her as he sat down on one side of the board, black pieces in hand, "This is probably the best way to teach you without risking you cheating."

"I don't cheat!" she exclaimed before dropping onto the other side of the board, "Fine, you want to match wits with me? Then bring it on, human!"

It took him minutes to take her queen, and that was with her having the first move. Admittedly, she only knew the basics of chess, and she'd been in a rush to crush him. Her moves had been obvious and focused solely on his king, and as such he had been able to pick her apart with the other pieces with very little loss. Their next few matches went about the same, with Takao constantly striving for a quick victory. Avalon had known that the Fog's approach to combat was 'overwhelming force' before anything else, but to see one of them applying it to _any_ form of challenge was both interesting and worrying.

"Alright, that's enough," he'd said as he began packing the board up.

"One more match!" she demanded, "I almost had you that last time!"

"You weren't even close, although I'll admit your trap did take two pieces with it," he told her as he picked the box up and began walking away, "Try going over what happened and finding what you did wrong. We'll pick this up again tomorrow."

"I…But…" she stammered, only to look down at her clasped hands.

Those defeats had, somehow, been even more humiliating than her _actual_ defeats. It was just a stupid game with rather simple rules, and yet he'd been able to crush her every time. Not only that, but she knew, she just _knew_ , that he hadn't been going all-out against her. Closing her eyes, she tried to force her anger down as she replayed their matches. He had been right about one thing; this game had required a better grasp on strategy and observation than she currently possessed. Now that she had the benefit of hindsight, she couldn't believe she'd fallen for some of the traps she had. ' _I won't be played like that again,_ ' she decided as she began analyzing his tactics, ' _I can't afford to be beaten like that if I want to make Gunzou mine._ '

That had brought them to today, and this time she was putting up much more of a fight. Rather than rushing straight for victory, she was taking more time and probing him with her pawns. Her caution had cost her half of them, as well as a knight and bishop, but she'd taken three of his pawns and a rook. Avalon could tell that she was paying far more attention to what he was doing, and she was clearly trying to anticipate where he would put the most pressure. ' _She's taking on a more defensive stance,_ ' he thought as he moved another piece, ' _But that's going to be a problem on its own, too._ '

Her decision might have been costing him more pieces, but she was still losing ground. But he wasn't about to point that out to her. If she was half as skilled as she believed herself to be, then she'd figure the error out on her own. As their match continued, she managed to take another three pieces, but she had also been reduced to a rook, knight and her king. Looking at the position she was in, she heaved a sigh before toppling her king herself.

"Giving up so soon?" Avalon asked, slightly confused. She'd always given her all to the end before, but something seemed…different.

"What's the point in trying to beat you at this point," she asked without looking up, "You won several moves ago. I was just hoping I could…turn it around…just like…"

"Captain Chihaya?" he asked, leaning back as she looked up at him in surprise, "Remember when I said this was a good starting point?" A nod. "Well, that's all that this is good for," he continued, "It may teach you to be careful and observant, but it also doesn't illustrate the reality of a battle. There are so many more things that can happen then this game has."

"I know that!"

"Then why are you acting like this is the absolute end?" he asked, catching her slightly off-guard, "It's just a game, not live-fire. Losing here just means you missed something that you need to learn for the next time. It's not going to get you killed, and it's not like you can't play again."

Taking a breath to steady herself, Takao pushed those doubts back down again. He was right, of course; she'd only lost at a game, so it wasn't the end of the world. She could still learn from this, and even if it couldn't fully prepare her for combat it would be a good start. Picking her pieces up, she began setting her side up for another match. Smiling, Avalon did the same.

They were about three moves into their current match when Hyuuga came down to them riding in her egg. She looked more than a little excited, and the two of them were confused as to why.

"Hyuuga, where's the fire?" he asked as he stood up, concerned because there was a real chance it was a _literal_ fire considering what Hyuuga did when she was bored.

"L-Lady Iona!" she stammered, zipping back and forth. Despite the fact that she was riding in a probe, she was doing a remarkable job of pacing like a person.

"What about her?" Avalon pressed.

"She's returned!"

Looking out at the entrance-way for the dock, Avalon didn't even hear Takao stand up and gasp. "Well, damn," he said, smirking, "It's about time they got back."

* * *

 **Faced with incredible odds, Avalon and the Blue Steel try to find a way to achieve their goals. New allies are made and new enemies step into the light as they prepare to depart.**

 **Next Chapter; Our Fleet**

 **For what are you willing to fight?**


	2. Chapter 2

**Our Fleet**

Takao's reaction to the news that the 401 had returned was…interesting, to say the least. In the time it took Avalon to turn back around to address her, she'd practically launched herself towards her ship. Watching her fleeing form, Avalon couldn't help but wonder just what he'd signed up for when he decided to team up with these kids. Their quirks were expected and tolerable most of the time, but they seemed to be constantly attracting more… 'unique' characters to them as time went on. First it was Hyuuga's development of an unabashed crush on Iona, and now it was whatever the hell was going on with Takao.

Shaking his head, he decided it wasn't his problem as the 401 surfaced and pulled alongside one of the jetties. Arms immediately extended from it to secure the sub in place, and a ramp moved into position near the top hatch for the crew to disembark. Checking to make sure his earpiece was still secure, he walked over as the others made their way down to the dock. It didn't take a genius to figure out they were nervous, and who wouldn't be? A cruiser that had been an enemy a short while ago was now docked in their home port.

Kashihara almost never took his eyes off the thing, his natural suspicion of the Fog likely telling him this was some kind of trap. Likewise, Hodzumi was also glancing nervously at the ship. While he knew that she wasn't just some meek little flower, even she had to know that her particular skillset wouldn't mean a damned thing if Takao got violent. Oribe and Watanuki, on the other hand, didn't look concerned in the least. In fact, she was smiling and talking brightly with the others as they started walking up the peer towards him. That spoke of their faith in Hyuuga, or at least in Gunzou's judgement.

That led Avalon to the captain and his own little escort. Gunzou Chihaya only spared the new ship one glance before turning his attention to Avalon, while Iona didn't even look. She had likely received some kind of report from Hyuuga before their arrival and had been expecting something like this. Either that or she had run a discreet scan when they'd docked and determined that Takao's hull was essentially inactive.

"Well, you guys took your sweet-" he began before a white projectile rocketed past him.

"Lady Iona!" Hyuuga practically squealed as she launched herself from the pod like a cannon ball.

Even with the super-human reflexes Iona likely had, she had no time to dodge as Hyuuga practically tackled her and proceeded to fawn over her. He silently counted down in his head, and as he reached zero Iona's patience with Hyuuga's antics ran out. Let it never be said that a Mental Model was physically weak, since she managed to send someone that was easily twice her size and weight across the bay into a nearby container with enough force to dent the wall.

Ignoring their exchange, he finally finished, "You took your sweet time getting here, Captain. I thought you'd be back days ago."

"Well, we ran into an unexpected surprise along the way," he replied as he came to a stop before him, "I'll fill you in later. Right now, I think I'd like to know why Takao is here."

"Isn't it obvious, Captain Chihaya?" Takao demanded, appearing on the main deck of her ship with her arms crossed. She almost looked like she was some kind of conquering hero, if it wasn't for the whole 'captured by a Gundam' thing. "I'm here because of you," she continued, smirking in apparent triumph.

"Is it a rematch that you're looking for, Takao?" he asked seriously, only to have her flinch in response, "If not, then why did you come here?"

"Well…" she began, looking off to the side. By this point, the rest of the crew had gathered around Avalon and Gunzou, and they were all looking at her expectantly.

When it became clear she didn't have a prepared response, Avalon decided to chime in. "She came to learn," he offered, causing everyone to turn to him, "When you beat her, she saw just how little she really knew about battle. I'm sure it wasn't made any better when I took her prisoner. She's been trying to learn how to strategize ever since."

"Is this true?" Gunzou asked, looking back at Takao.

For a moment, she considered disputing that boy's claim. Of course she wasn't here for that, it had only been an interesting side project. She was here for her Captain, the only person she would recognize as her superior now. The fact that he happened to be a male, and that she'd had several steamy dreams, was beside the point. Completely beside it. But… if she just came out and said it, there could be serious trouble, anyway. She needed to convince him that she was the woma- Ship! That she was the _ship_ for him.

"Y-Yes," she said, finally realizing the opening Avalon had given her, "After seeing how easily you defeated my trap, I decided I wanted to learn more about how you humans fight."

"Couldn't you have just taken on a disguise and enrolled in a Naval Academy, then?" Kashihara asked skeptically.

"Come on, Kashi," Avalon chided, "You know there's a difference between the classroom and a real battlefield. We all have actual experience, and I'm sure she was more than a little impressed by how easily you beat her."

"I was not!" she exploded, her temper winning out briefly before she quickly covered her mouth. _'Oh, no, now I've done it,'_ she thought.

However, everyone there saw her outburst for what it really was, and not what she perceived it to be. ' _Tsundere,'_ they all thought practically in unison before turning back to each other.

"So, you've been teaching her?" Gunzou asked Avalon, smirking as they heard Takao fuming at being ignored.

"As best as I can without…" he began before glancing at Takao, and then at Iona, "Without making her too dangerous. I'm not sure it's a good idea, but it was either that or deal with _another_ petulant child."

"Hyuuga tried to get at your machine again, didn't she?" Watanuki asked, smirking as Avalon grimaced, "Come on, Av, you had to know what she'd do with that kind of eye-candy around. She's a technophile, after all."

"I am not," Hyuuga protested as she sat on her now open pod, "I just appreciate a well-crafted machine."

"There's a difference between 'appreciation' and trying to bed a machine, Hyuuga!" she retorted, causing the older woman to look away as certain memories came back to her.

Chuckling, Avalon turned and led the way out of the bay. In spite of the fact that a couple of them had annoying quirks, he was grateful to have a group to aid him again. Of course, it wasn't like he had a whole lot of choice in the matter. When he'd first arrived in this realm, he hadn't used the Ptolemaios' full stealth capabilities when he'd come into orbit. After realizing that this world's satellite network was in shambles, and considering there weren't any ships or structures out further in space, he'd assumed they wouldn't have the means to detect his ship.

That assumption had almost cost him dearly as energy beams slammed into the lower GN field. He had only learned later that it was the Fog attempting to destroy something that flew into their 'airspace,' for lack of a better word. And even with the field running at full strength (well, almost full, but it was as close as he could get at the moment), they'd managed to pierce it and breach the port-side hanger. It had been sheer dumb luck that his Gundam hadn't been there, or anything important.

After that, he'd activated the optical camouflage and basically hoped that the Fog wouldn't look too closely at a particular part of the night sky. Even though it was easily capable of fooling the naked eye and most other sensors, anyone that paid very close attention would notice that the star's positions were slightly off. Still, the ship hadn't been attacked since, so he had hope.

After a while, he led them to one of the old base's briefing rooms before taking one of the many empty chairs. The others spread out around the room while Gunzou took the center of the room and pulled a memory stick from his pocket. Hyuuga and Takao joined them a short while later, with the latter of the two shooting Avalon a pointed glare that he didn't return. Plugging the stick into the podium he had off to the side, Gunzou brought up their data on what Avalon guessed was a rather troublesome enemy.

"This is the U-2501," he told them, highlighting one submarine in particular, "We encountered her recently on our way here to resupply. She had apparently been deployed by the Fog to sink us for defying them, despite the fact that she has a human crew."

"Which fleet sent her?" Avalon asked, curious, "There shouldn't be any U-boats around Japan, so it can't be from the Oriental fleets."

"…" At this, Gunzou looked down for a moment. That was all Avalon needed as he spat out a string of curses. He didn't know all of the details about Gunzou's past, but he knew enough that learning the man's own father was now their enemy was a blow. No, not just a blow; it seriously pissed him off.

"What the hell is that damned fool thinking?" Avalon asked aloud, not really expecting an answer, "I mean, what you guys are doing is one thing, but _defecting_? Not only that, but sending out the naval equivalent of an assassin against your own _son_? Is the bastard even human anymore?!"

"The 2501 is more dangerous than that," Kashihara replied, leaning back with a serious look, "If it had just been one ship, we could have handled it. But not only did he have some kind of supply ship trailing him, he had a small pack of these mini-subs, too."

"…You've got to be kidding."

"He's not," Watanuki replied, grimacing as she remembered the damage done to her engine room, "We might as well have been in a full-fledged fleet battle with the firepower he unleashed on us."

"Then how are you all still alive?" Takao asked, speaking up for the first time in a while.

"Because his goal wasn't to kill us," Gunzou replied, bringing up a still image of the U-boat's captain, "At least, his immediate goal wasn't. He said that he simply wished to meet me, but I suspect it was also so he could get a measure of what we're capable of."

"Makes sense," Avalon added, following the logic, "You're the only ones to last this long against the Fog, and with a single ship. Only an idiot would try and take you on blind."

"Hey!" Takao exclaimed.

"You were, and you know it," he replied without even looking at her, "What concerns me is the use of remote weapons. If he's the only one employing this tactic, that's one thing. But, if it catches on, even within his own fleet…"

"Yeah…" Gunzou said, looking down again as the mood got heavier. None of them needed anyone to elaborate on the implications; fighting a single fleet was bad enough, but fighting one with disposable remote weapons? That would be a nightmare on a whole new scale.

"…So, what's the plan?" Avalon finally asked.

"For now, we're going to focus on our current task," Gunzou told them as he brought up the image of a new torpedo, "We're to take the Vibration warhead to the dockyard in San Diego. The Americans should be able to replicate the design with their resources. After that, it's anyone's guess."

"…That's it?" Takao asked, unable to quite believe what she'd just heard, "You're just going to try and breach not one, but _two_ blockades in the _hope_ that the Americans can do what you can't? That's your plan?"

"Something wrong?" Kashihara asked, looking at her before wincing at her answer's volume.

"Yeah, a lot is wrong!" she exclaimed, "You can't seriously expect Kongou to let you out of her patrol area alive, to say nothing of Nagato and her own fleet. You won't stand a chance, and that's without bringing the American fleets into this!"

"…*Sigh* You still don't get it, do you?" Avalon asked before looking over at Gunzou. At some unseen signal, he switched the display over to one of Avalon's GN drive. "My Gundam is more than just a mobile suit, Takao," he explained, "The GN particles it emits can be weaponized, in a way, to jam virtually all communications in a local area. I've done some tests with Hyuuga, and I've found out that even your Models are susceptible to them if the levels are high enough."

"….Wait…you're saying that…you can…?"

"Jam the communications of any Fog ship?" Avalon finished for her, "Probably not; a Mental Model with sufficient processing power could probably punch through the jamming, but that's likely only possible with the Flagships. As for most of the others; unless they join together and combine their power, they will likely be as blind as anyone else."

"We've already identified several potential weak points in Kongou's patrol lines where this could work," Gunzou continued, highlighting several areas on the map, "If we can create a dense enough field, then we could slip through her lines and be well on our way by the time she realizes what happened."

Part of her, a rather big part, wanted to call out that plan as obvious bullshit. There was no way they could just _stroll through_ a Fog patrol line, much less _two_. And yet, they all seemed sold on the idea. Not only that, but Takao had both her own personal experience with Avalon's stealth capabilities and the Fog's 'ghost stories' to lend weight to their idea. What's more, she found that she was actually starting to grasp the underlying tactics here.

If they made a big show of it and forced their way through the line, then they would suffer serious damage and waste precious munitions doing so. Not only that, but Kongou would be alerted to their position and potential heading. A prolonged battle on the run would just drain a small group like theirs too quickly, and that was before she considered the idea that Kongou might contact one of the American Flagships in order to cut the 401 off. But if they could sneak through, then not only would they have more time before pursuit came for them; they would be far harder to track in the long run.

Even though _she_ knew that they were aiming for San Diego, the Fog didn't, and the coast of North America was considerably long. She could already see how this kind of diversion and subtly would work to the advantage of a much smaller group. However, there was still one considerable problem with their plan, and she somehow knew that she would have to be the one to point it out.

"…What about me?" she asked after a while, gaining their attention again.

"What do you mean?" Watanuki asked, confused by what she thought was a rather sad tone to the Mental Model's voice.

"I mean, I'm not part of your group," Takao explained, "Sure, I abandoned my post in order to learn more about your people, and ultimately to track you down. But… I could still return to the fleet. With what I've learned here, I could cripple your strategy almost beyond redemption. I could even act like a double-agent and lead them straight to you if I decided to tag along. So, why…?"

"Why are we sharing this with you?" Avalon asked, only to look to Gunzou to answer.

"Because, I believe we can trust you," he told her, making her blush slightly, "You've chosen to learn and grow, and you've embraced your new capabilities unlike most of the Fog."

"But that still makes you my enemy!"

"Why would it?" Gunzou asked, bringing her up short, "I never said I wanted to destroy the Fog, and I'm not about to try and use their power to rule over humanity." At this, his face grew a bit darker, and they all knew who he likely meant. "Yes, the Vibration warhead is a weapon designed to destroy Fog ships, but I would only ever use that as a last resort if it was up to me," he continued, "What I want is for our two people to come to an understanding with each other, and be better for it."

"You…what…?"

"You've already seen what we can do when working together," Oribe added, "We might be decent fighters, but we wouldn't have lasted nearly half as long as we have without Iona. Likewise, she wouldn't have lasted this long if she'd turned against the Fog on her own."

"Our teamwork might not be perfect," Watanuki said, smirking as she remembered a lot of her own personal challenges, "But we're still new to this idea of working together. Just what do you think would happen if we started mastering it?"

In spite of everything, Takao actually did find herself imagining what would happen if, or rather _when_ , the crew of the 401 managed to find that perfect balance between them and their ship. The idea that she'd been beaten by people that hadn't been able to fight at full capacity was more than a little scary, and she didn't even want to imagine what might happen if others followed their lead.

"So, I guess you have a choice, Takao," Gunzou said, bringing her back to reality, "If you choose to remain loyal to the Fog, we won't fault you for it. However, I will insist that you remain in this port for a week after we depart. Or, you could join us. We could honestly use someone with up-front fighting capability."

"You…you would really accept me, just like that?" she asked softly, unable to quite believe it.

"Well, maybe not that quickly," Kashihara replied, only for Watanuki to toss a pencil at his head.

As he rubbed the spot he'd been hit, and glared at Watanuki slightly, Avalon turned to Gunzou and quirked one of his eyebrows in a silent question. Gunzou just returned it with a smirk and a shrug. Despite the fact that they didn't really know if they could trust her or not, the benefit of having a heavy cruiser on their side seemed to be well worth the risk in Gunzou's books. Of course, neither of them were about to just let her sail under their flag without someone monitoring her.

"Right now, our priorities are reequipping the 401 for launch," Gunzou announced, "We will be abandoning this facility as well, considering its reserves of Nano-material have dwindled to almost nothing. We need to make sure that there's nothing here that our enemies can use against us."

"Yes, sir," came the resounding reply from most of those present.

However, as everyone filed out, Takao found herself wondering just what she was going to do to pass the time. They probably wouldn't need her to repair Iona's hull, nor would they likely want her help. Her own ship was fully repaired and, after actually confirming _visually_ since she couldn't access any of the systems, supplied, so she couldn't distract herself with tending to her own hull.

Maybe she could get Avalon to play another game.

* * *

The next three days was spent repairing the 401, as well as making sure that all three of the ships were loaded with as much supplies as they could salvage from the base. Takao had, after a lengthy internal debate, decided to officially join the Blue Steel. Since then, she hadn't taken the shirt she'd received off except to clean it, something that Avalon was a little concerned about. Of course, his concern stemmed more from the fact that she had been placed under his command for the time being, even though he was more of an ally than an actual member of their fleet. But those concerns were quickly replaced by new ones when they realized that Kongou had deliberately opened a hole in her patrols, leaving the humans with a clear shot at the Blue Steel's base.

If their interaction with some of the Japanese military leaders was any indication, then someone was likely to take that chance to try and seize the 401 for themselves. In spite of all of the good that Gunzou and his team had done, they were still technically criminals in the eyes of many. Avalon must have spent an entire day checking his Assault Container to make sure it was both well-hidden and prepared for an immediate launch. Under different circumstances, his paranoia might have been unfounded. But considering what happened the following day, he felt justified.

He and Takao had just begun another match, and he had been looking forward to getting a real challenge from her when his earpiece chirped.

"Amphibious assault ships have just landed on the northern shore," Hodzumi reported, sounding strangely calm, "We also have a team of divers moving to breach the hanger."

"Wait, if we're under attack, why aren't the alarms going off?" Takao asked, surprised.

"We need them to think we've been caught unaware," Gunzou replied, "Takao, you have about five minutes to launch your ship before the divers will be in visual range of the dock. Avalon, your launch sight is also under threat; you have about the same amount of time as Takao."

Leaving the board where it was, Avalon quickly checked his pistol before he began running from the hanger. Likewise, Takao had lept up and run to her ship, finding that the controls had been returned to her. She quickly stowed her personal belongings before submerging and proceeding out into open water.

Dashing down the halls, Avalon keyed his earpiece, asking, "Alright, what's the change in the plan?"

"And what makes you so sure there's a change?" Watanuki asked, "Everything's going smoothly."

"…Chihaya?" Avalon replied, ignoring his engineer's tone.

"Hyuuga's activating the decoys now," he replied, "As it stands, the plan remains unchanged. You and Takao will escort the decoy ship to the harbor, and then meet up with us just outside our break-out point. We'll have picked up Iona's support gear by then."

"Alright, see you there," Avalon said before switching the channel off.

Stopping just before one of the secondary hatches, Avalon took a moment to check his ammo and turn off the safety on his gun. The chances that these men hadn't been given shoot-to-kill orders were slim to none, and he wasn't about to take any chances. Pushing the door open slowly, he paused for a brief moment and listened. When he wasn't greeted with barked orders or gunfire, he advanced into the trees.

His journey to the Assault Container was more than a little nerve-wracking, and twice he was forced to duck into thick ferns as he heard a helicopter fly by. When he finally reached his Container, he bit back a curse as he saw three men examining it. They were all wearing military clothing and were heavily armed, and he was more than certain that they would have called this discovery in. _'Three of them with assault rifles versus me with a pistol,'_ he thought, quickly checking to make sure his gun was ready, _'far from ideal odds.'_

But, he didn't really have a lot of choices besides trying to go through them. So, he steadied his aim and pulled the trigger, putting a bullet into the vest of one of the special forces. The man went down, but Avalon knew he wasn't out. Instead of standing and trying to fight a losing battle, he fell back into the trees as the other two opened fire on his position. Leaves and wood chunks flew as bullets ripped through the plants, but he'd made it far enough that they didn't hit him. After he'd moved a fair distance back, he found a new position and waited.

Minutes passed, and after a while he wondered if anyone was actually pursuing him. That is, until he saw one of the soldiers advancing slowly through the trees. He was taking careful steps, making as little noise as possible as he scanned his surroundings. Bringing his gun up, Avalon prepared to take him out when he felt…something. In a split second, he ducked to the side as a burst of rifle fire ripped through where his head had been. Spinning around, he fired off two shots before ducking behind a tree. More bullets tore into its trunk, but it was thankfully thick enough that they didn't penetrate.

The second soldier had come up behind him, using his buddy as a distraction. It had been a rather clever plan, even if it'd also been more than a little heartless. Sliding down so he was sitting, Avalon waited as the rifle fire stopped. The first guy would undoubtedly be advancing on his position, so he had little time to deal with this one before he was in a very bad spot. Closing his eyes, he felt that something again. It wasn't his training in evasion and hit-and-run tactics that was causing this, it was more like… premonition, maybe? He couldn't explain it, but he wasn't about to question it as he could tell, for whatever reason, that this soldier was about to come around the tree from his left. _'Big mistake,'_ Avalon thought.

The soldier came around the tree quickly, his gun held ready to cut Avalon down. However, he'd already been in motion; his left hand wrapping around the barrel of the gun as he pulled it to the side. At the same time, he brought his gun up and put a bullet into one of the man's thighs, earning him a cry of pain and a panicked burst of fire into the dirt next to him. Bringing his hand back, Avalon slammed the butt of his pistol into the man's helmet as he began to fall, knocking him to the side and stunning him into dropping his gun. Taking the weapon, he quickly dove to the side as rifle fire barked again. Soldier number 1 had gotten there in the few minutes that Avalon had been dealing with his comrade.

Without even checking its magazine, Avalon leaned out from his cover and fired off a burst. The soldier hadn't been expecting him to stand and fight, apparently, and he caught the burst full in the chest. Whether the man's vest was able to take that amount of fire or not wasn't really his concern as he dropped the rifle, retrieved his handgun and moved back towards his Container.

Thankfully, this time it wasn't guarded, and while that was a good thing it also likely meant that soldier number 3 was out there somewhere. Sure enough, just as he was opening the hatch rifle fire pinged off the armor. He had just enough time to duck into the airlock before a bullet pinged off his left arm, and he quickly shut the door before breathing a sigh of relief. After taking a second to make sure that the bullet hadn't done any damage, he made his way to the cockpit before keying the Container's systems online.

He raised the GN field just as the helicopter returned and tried to disable him with .50 caliber fire. Against anything else, that might have been a cause for worry. But even without the GN field to deflect the fire, he knew that the E-Carbon could resist that level of firepower. Activating the Emitters, he dissolved the external cloak and lifted off. He briefly considered taking the helicopter out, but decided against it as he turned and accelerated out towards his meeting point with Takao. He hadn't gone into that fight with the soldiers with the intent to kill, and he saw no reason to change his approach now.

Once he was over water deep enough, he dove beneath the surface while increasing the emitter's output to compensate. It didn't take him long after that to arrive at his meeting point with Takao, although it was a little bit of a struggle to ignore the fact that he was facing a sunken warship, essentially.

"What kept you?" she asked, glancing over as his Container came to a rest next to her hull.

"Three men and a lot of bullets," he replied curtly before leaning back, "So, what's happening?"

"They've already begun killing off the replicas," she reported, "One of their teams has also secured the dummy 401, and they're preparing it to leave. We just need to stick close enough so I can maintain my connection."

"About that…" Avalon said, starting to feel a little uneasy, "Doesn't your kind have some kind of hyper-communication? Why would distance be a problem?"

"You mean the Joint Tactical Network," she corrected, starting to get irritated with his tone, "It's for communicating between Mental Models, not lower ships. This thing isn't even a ship by our standards; it's a puppet, and a rather simple one at that. If I don't stay in range, then it's systems will shut down."

"Right…"

"Are you calling me a liar?!"

"I didn't say that," Avalon.

"Really, cause that's what it sounds like," she said hotly, "I'm starting to get sick of your attitude, so I suggest that-"

"That I what?" he challenged, "That I just keep my mouth shut and do as I'm told, is that it?"

"That's not what-"

"Let's be clear here," he continued, cutting her off, "No matter what you might have said or done before, I don't trust you. I don't trust any of your kind. I've seen your breed of arrogance before, and I know where it leads. So make no mistake; if you give me even the slightest reason, I _will_ destroy you."

Before she could respond, he ended the communication before sitting back and taking a deep breath. He needed to calm down before he did something he would regret, and he couldn't afford a falling-out now. These people were the only ones that were both willing and able to help him hunt down the ELS commander sent here, and he _had_ to find them soon. Keeping them from securing Aldnoah had been relatively simple enough, since the technology wasn't easily replicated or controlled. But here?

The power the Fog possessed was due almost entirely to two things; the use of an exotic element that was undoubtedly more abundant in space than on the ground, and their incredible processing power. The later of those two the ELS could recreate with almost laughable ease, considering its nature. The use of Thanatonium to power their weapons and armor was interesting, especially since it seemed like an element unique to this realm. In fact, after taking the time to apply his rather limited knowledge in regards to the elements, he was willing to bet that it was an artificial element rather than something that occurred naturally. If that was the case, and the ELS learned how to properly synthesize it… He didn't even what to think about fighting ELS ships with Klein Fields.

* * *

 **Caught between two powerful forces, Avalon is forced to choose between his ideals and his past experience. Meanwhile, others begin to take notice of his unique presence and what he might mean for the future.**

 **Next chapter; Ambush**

 **When you are pressed for time, there are no second-chances.**

* * *

 **A/N; Okay, just to address a couple things before this goes any further; first off, I feel like I have to apologize again for the incredible delay on this one. I've been trying to map this story out overall, and that's proven to be rather…difficult. Thankfully, I've managed to nail down at least a few major plot points in the future, so I can focus on this without feeling like I'm going to forget something important.**

 **Also, yes, he's still using the Exia. And for the record, it's in the same condition as it was at the end of the last story, meaning no broadsword. Technically he does have the Double 0, as well, but… let's just say there's a very good reason he's not using it just yet.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Ambush**

Once the Japanese forces had withdrawn from the island and were well underway, Avalon and Takao surfaced before following at a discreet distance. It didn't take them too long to meet up with the task force, and the ships quickly pulled into formation around the sub before turning and heading back towards the mainland. While Avalon would have been worried about being detected, he was instead rather relaxed as they matched their speed and continued to follow them. Takao had rigged the decoy so it wouldn't detect them, and he was putting out enough GN particles to keep them cloaked from radar.

While that made their journey rather simple, it also made it rather boring. Of course, boredom was something that Avalon knew how to handle fairly well. Takao, on the other hand…

"Avalooon!" she begged over a secure com link.

"No."

"Please!"

"No."

"Pleeease!"

"How do I know you won't cheat?"

"I would never cheat!" she replied hotly, "I have my pride!"

"Yeah, you do," he muttered before sighing explosively.

She'd spent all of yesterday pestering him for another match, but that was easier said than done. Under the current circumstances, he wasn't about to trust his Container to auto-pilot while he went over to her ship to play a game. Likewise, he wasn't about to let her come aboard his ship in case the GN interference was enough to make her lose her signal to the decoy. Keeping her in physical contact with her hull prevented that from happening, and while it wasn't likely that leaving her ship would reduce her signal strength he wasn't about to risk the possibility just to alieve her boredom.

That left him with setting something up digitally, which was its own kind of problem considering he would be playing a virtual game against what was, essentially, a computer. One with a human base, granted, but still a computer. But, there's only so much badgering a given person can take, and he was willing to bet she'd just keep pestering him until he conceded. She was nothing if not persistent.

Setting the game up didn't take all that long, and he tried not to smirk as he heard her laugh of triumph as he sent her an invitation. _'Of course, she'd view this as_ her _victory,'_ he thought as they began to play. This time, rather than simple chess, he'd opted for a strategy game that he'd found some time ago. It was rather simple, honestly, but it would serve its purpose. They arranged their units across the map in short order, and then the challenge really began.

Takao's basic grasp of tactics had grown fairly quickly with just their small games, and Avalon would have been lying if he said he wasn't interested in just how far she could go. Of course, that curiosity was tempered by the knowledge of _what_ she was, and no matter how trusting Gunzou seemed to be of their kind he wasn't about to fall into that trap. After several turns had passed and they'd begun to probe each other's defenses, Takao's concentration seemed to shift.

"Something wrong?" he asked as he commenced an attack on one of her weaker territories.

"…There's something out there," she finally replied, ignoring the game and her small loss as she stood up.

Fog symbols lit up on her face as she turned her attention outward, trying to detect that faint sound she'd heard just a moment ago. It had been for just a moment, but she'd heard what sounded like an engine. And it had been behind their formation, so it couldn't have been the humans. Unless…

"Avalon, didn't the Captain tell us about a U-boat operating in this area?" she asked as she suddenly withdrew from their game.

"…Great," Avalon replied as he brought up the E-sensor. However, even with his systems it was difficult to pick up a Fog submarine, especially if it didn't want to be found. "Has it launched anything yet?" he asked as he prepared his weapons.

"Nothing yet," she told him as she got another whisper, but this time in a different direction, "But… I'm getting strange readings. It's like…there's more than one sub out there."

"Focus on the decoy for now," Avalon advised, "If we tip them off they might ruin the whole thing."

"So I should just give them a free shot up our tails?" Takao asked, shocked at his proposed course of action.

"If he's following us, then the 401 has that much more time to get away," Avalon said patiently, "Don't forget that he probably has orders to sink that ship, too."

Grimacing, Takao had to admit that he had a point. If they could keep this sub focused on them, then Gunzou and the 401 would have a better chance of completing their objectives. Of course, that also meant that their assignment was that much more perilous. But it was a risk she was more than willing to take for her Captain.

Aboard the 2501, Captain Stark looked at their radar plots with mild confusion. Takao was moving much slower than a ship of her class normally would, and she was also being far more cautious than her reputation implied. He'd had some of his Seahunds make noise at the edge of her range, poking her acoustically to gage her reactions, and she'd remained on her course to Yokosuka port. He knew that Mental Models had the ability to learn and adapt their strategies, but he had at least expected her to try and remove a potential threat at her back. But she'd remained on her previous course, and that was slightly confusing.

"Where's the Japanese fleet?" he asked, causing his ship to project another chart as it marked the human ships.

Their relative position to Takao implied she was following them, and he could only think of one reason she would be doing something like that. They'd detected what they'd thought was the 401 in the middle of that formation, but further analysis showed that, while the acoustic signature was very similar, it wasn't an exact match. It had to be a decoy, deployed by Gunzou to get the Japanese army off their backs while they escaped. It was a clever tactic, but one with a very clear flaw; keeping something like that running would require a Mental Model, and if said Model was removed before the sub made it to port…

"Order Seahunds W2 to A7, engage at will," he said, causing the lights in his ship to shift to a red battle-color. Outside in the water, the miniature submarines moved into attack range before the ports on their sides opened. Within moments, a dozen torpedoes were screaming through the water towards her ship.

"We've got trouble," Takao advised as several turrets detached from her deck.

Rising into the air, they unleashed their fire into the water while her missile hatches opened. As her point-defense picked off the incoming torpedoes, her own missile barrage rocketed away before plunging into the water, back-tracing the torpedoes to destroy their launch points. Explosions rippled across the ocean as torpedoes exploded, and several were far bigger as she began to score hits.

Avalon, meanwhile, was busy trying to plot the enemy's formation. He was just as sure as Takao that this was the 2501 attacking them, which meant that killing its puppets wouldn't mean a damned thing. He likely had a great number of them and had only committed a small portion to this initial engagement. Flicking a pair of switches, he opened the Container's missile tubes before turning the ship around. He quickly launched a wave of GN missiles, setting them to home in on three of the mini subs. He then watched as explosions fountained up as his targets were destroyed without any sign of evasion. _'Looks like they can't detect the missiles, even underwater,'_ he thought with a smirk. He went about preparing another volley before accelerating away from Takao.

"What are you doing?!" she demanded as she watched the Container move further away.

"They can't detect me just yet," he said as a lower bay opened, "Let's give them a real fight, shall we?"

Smirking, Takao replied, "Yeah!" as she prepared a flight of missiles and torpedoes.

Avalon quickly deployed sonar buoys at several locations before setting them to active. They would be destroyed quickly, he knew, but they would give the two of them a far more accurate picture of their enemy's disposition. Sure enough, most of them were destroyed after one or two pings, while others were able to get off several more before meeting a similar fate. But Avalon had gotten the data he needed, and he shared it with Takao before they both launched a full barrage.

"What just happened?" Stark asked as he turned to his weapon's officer.

"I…I don't know," the boy replied, looking at his screens in shock as their Seahunds were picked off with brutal efficiency. Not only that, but several of them seemed to just…explode, without them detecting any incoming ordinance.

"…I can't be sure about this," Francette said as she adjusted some of the settings on her console, "But…I think I heard something just before those Seahunds were destroyed. It was faint, and sounded like water flowing quickly, but I'm fairly sure it was there."

"Some new stealth torpedo?" Stark wondered, cupping his chin with one hand, "But…why so few if they're so effective?"

"Maybe she doesn't have a whole lot of them?" Romuald offered, glancing back at his captain briefly.

"Then why wouldn't she save them for later?" he replied before looking at the tactical map again. They'd detected and destroyed several sonar buoys, but he was sure they'd painted a good portion of their fleet for Takao. But…why were they so far out from her? And the order of their deployment… it was almost like something had dropped them into the water.

"Have we done a sweep of the airspace?" he asked, receiving silence from his crew, "Send one of the Seahunds topside and have it start looking for airborne threats. Takao might not be alone."

"Aye, aye," Romuald replied as he directed the subs.

Bringing himself to a stop, Avalon tried to make sense of what he was seeing. The 2501 had spread its subs out to entrap Takao, making sure that she had to fight no matter where she went. But he hadn't seen the larger ships yet, and that was concerning. It was entirely possible that this entire fight was just a probing run, and that he was simply testing their capabilities before he let loose his _real_ firepower. Just as he had that thought, his E-sensor blared a warning as several missiles cleared the water. Jerking the controls to the side, he activated the GN field as three of the missiles impacted the lower hull. The field held, and he was thankful that none of them had been Corrosive warheads. But now the enemy knew he was there, and they wouldn't just leave him unchecked.

Pulling back inside Takao's area of engagement, he watched as a second flight tried to take him out only to be intercepted by her point-defense.

"What's the matter, get tired of running off on your own?" she asked as she prepared her next volley.

"I'm just not willing to see if my GN field can take a Corrosive missile," he replied as he brought up a tactical plot. Cursing his lack of experience with these things, he tried to get some sense of where that bastard's command ship likely was. Just as he was wondering that, however, several new contacts entered range. And they were much bigger than the small-fry sniffing around outside Takao's direct-fire range.

"Found you, you bastard!" she declared, extending arms from the sides of her ship that held an impressive array of torpedoes.

"Takao, wait-!" Avalon advised too late as she fired her first volley.

The torpedoes streaked through the water, several of them detonating prematurely as the enemy launched counter-measures. Cursing her inpatients, he launched a wave of GN missiles before preparing one of his special warheads. He then watched on the tactical display as their volleys closed on what was likely the enemy command ship. Several of the larger contacts moved to intercept them, clustering in front of one of them as they used their bodies as living shields. They were quickly ripped apart, leaving three contacts left. And Avalon knew which one he had to shoot.

The missile he fired was bulkier than the standard GN missiles, but it was still sporting the same basic design. _'Dodge this, you bastard,'_ he thought as the Corrosive GN missiles closed on the ship.

"…We have incoming!" Francette suddenly declared, "Ten degrees off our port side, and closing fast!"

"Hard to starboard, and raise our bow twenty degrees! Ascend!" Zark ordered as the ship maneuvered, "Deploy Klein Field!"

The sub began to move and accelerate, trying to avoid the incoming missile. But they knew that there wasn't enough time to avoid it completely, and the three humans braced themselves as the warhead slammed into their Klein field. After several tense seconds, the explosion dissipated and they were left running smoothly again.

"Alright," Stark said, looking at the screen again as he smirked, "My turn."

On the surface, Avalon cursed as he watched what he was sure was their command ship continue to maneuver. Before he could even prepare a follow-up shot, his side screen lit up and he heard Takao curse. Turning, he saw that she'd been hit with a Corrosive torpedo from behind.

"Damn them!" Takao exclaimed as she tried to contain the damage.

"But, how…?" Avalon began before noticing something else breaking out of the water and streaking towards her, "Takao, incoming!"

"I see it!" she replied, but in spite of the warning she wasn't able to intercept the second Corrosive warhead.

Cursing his inability to help, Avalon turned his attention to the attacking ships as he loosed another wave of missiles. Several mini subs exploded, although now the enemy seemed to be learning. This time, the subs were actually moving to try and avoid his missiles, so they'd figured out some way to at least know when they were close. Not that it would help them much, since he still hit every target, but it was still worrying. _'If this battle drags on much longer, I won't be of much use,'_ he thought as he glanced at the controls for his particle cannons, _'I could always use the main weapons, but the beams might have to be boosted with a Trans-Am to penetrate that much water.'_

Slamming his fist into the armrest, he cursed his own helplessness. If it had been a Mobile Suit fight, he'd have had no problems breaking their formation. But this was naval combat, and despite what Takao probably thought of him he just wasn't cut out for ship battles.

Looking back in her direction, he watched helplessly as several torpedoes closed on her weakened hull. Three of them made direct contact, and he could only guess at the damage they'd caused. But then he saw several of her bigger turrets start to…vanish. It was the only way he could describe it as they seemed to get sucked back into her hull. At the same time, the damage done by the two Corrosive warheads was patched up. Her Klein field came back quickly after that, shrugging off the smaller munitions as she put power into her engines.

"What are you doing?" Avalon asked as he turned and matched her speed.

"Just trust me!" she replied as she looked back.

The mini subs were starting to swarm now, looking to break through her still weak field and finish her off. It was the kind of ruthlessness that she couldn't help but admire. Unfortunately, it would prove to be a very big mistake. After almost 10 seconds, she activated the mines she'd placed beneath her, and which now just so happened to be right below the pursuing fleet of subs.

Their hatches sprang open in an instant, and a mixed swarm of torpedoes roared away from the seafloor and up into their bellies. Several Seahunds managed to survive since they were only struck with one or two. But many more were consumed in fireballs that quickly faded in the water. Even worse were the Corrosive torpedoes mixed in with them, ripping their targets apart on a molecular level with more force than their weak fields could handle. In one fell swoop, she'd managed to knock almost two thirds of the pursuing forces out. To make things even better, she'd also mixed in several acoustic torpedoes that churned the waters up even more, deafening the remaining submarines.

Cutting her engines, she turned and looked at the heaving waters with satisfactions. She might not have taken the U-boat down, but she'd crippled their forces and blinded them. Granted, she was also blind now, but at least she had the advantage of a different set of sensors. Aboard the Assault Container, Avalon watched as his E-sensor finally managed to make sense of the soup Takao had created. When he saw how many contacts had been eliminated, he gave a low whistle of approval. She might have only begun to grasp over-arching tactics on a grand scale, but she definitely knew a thing or two about ship-to-ship combat.

His admiration was cut short as several new contacts appeared and streaked towards Takao. But just as quickly as they launched, they suddenly spread out in a fan that was growing steadily wider. _'What are they doing?'_ Avalon wondered before realization dawned on him.

"Takao, they're firing a barrage to detect you!" he reported before flipping another switch, opening a direct channel between her and the E-sensor.

She visibly flinched as the new input appeared, but her shock wore off quickly as she saw the incoming torpedoes. Igniting her maneuvering engines, she turned her hull just enough and watched as the torpedoes glided past her. Takao breathed a sigh of relief at dodging them, which quickly turned into a yelp as several knew contacts appeared from directly below and slammed into her.

"I just fixed that, damnit!" she cursed as her Klein field struggled to hold the Corrosive fields off. Her deck lurched again as another warhead slammed into her, and she clutched at the base of one of her remaining turrets as she watched her field strength drop to zero.

Watching the assault, Avalon punched the metal near him more forcefully as he yelled, "Damnit, why am I so useless?!"

Turning to his tactical display, he decided to abandon his hesitation. Despite his distaste for what Takao was, and what she represented, she hadn't appeared to be a bad individual. _'Well, will you look at that,'_ a part of him realized as he charged the particle cannons, _'I just thought of her as an individual.'_

The cannons charged quickly, and he set his sights on one of the three larger submarines. They'd had plenty of time to shuffle them around, so he couldn't be sure which one was the command sub. But it wouldn't matter if he blew all of them away. Just as the entire fleet unleashed a barrage of torpedoes to finish Takao off, he fired off a massive particle beam that cut through the water. Even though it bled strength as it moved deeper, enough energy slammed into the submarine to overpower the Klein field locally and put a hole in its nose. A geyser of water fountained up several seconds later, showing that he'd managed to detonate the sub's onboard munitions. But the fleet was still active, so it wasn't the lead boat.

Turning, he watched helplessly as Takao's hull was torn to shreds by multiple torpedoes and Corrosive warheads. Grimacing, he turned away as the explosions began to subside. Her hull was now more of a shell; dozens of holes marred the surface, and it tipped slightly to one side as it began to sink. Not even her Mental Model was visible, and Avalon just hoped that her death had been swift. Opening his eyes again, he looked at his screens in cold fury as his cannons charged back to full power again. At the same time, several missiles erupted from the water and homed in on him. Avalon didn't even try to evade, instead rerouting power to the forward field emitters as the missiles slammed into it.

"You bastards are going to pay for what you did," Avalon promised as he sighted up on the second U-boat. The two ships were already trying to accelerate and evade his impending attack, but Avalon had enough training to know how to lead moving targets.

"…Don't…count me out…just yet…" he heard suddenly, making him hesitate as he looked again at Takao's ruined hull.

Sure enough, her Mental Model reemerged and smiled triumphantly as the center of her ship opened up. Her Graviton Cannon deployed soon after, and Avalon couldn't help but smile as he watched it charge up.

"I don't know how you're still standing," he said as he turned his attention back to the battle, "And I don't care. We're ending this, now!"

"So, what's the plan, Avalon?" she asked eagerly as her gun quickly reached peak charge.

"I'm sending you the coordinates of one of the two U-boats," he said as he sent the data, "I'm targeting the other one. We end this here with one attack!"

"I like this plan!" she exclaimed as she turned the gun towards her target, "Alright, you bastard, time for you to sink!"

"You're done!" Avalon added as they both fired.

Particle beams and graviton waves cut through the water, closing on their respective targets before either could hope to avoid them. Aboard the 2501, Captain Stark gave the only order he could as he braced himself for the ensuing blast. He couldn't believe that one Mental Model and an airship had pushed him this far. Granted, the airship had been an unknown and a wildcard, but he had been sure that it wasn't nearly as formidable as he'd first believed. And yet, they'd still…

Avalon's particle beams slammed into the last decoy in a full broadside, cutting the weaker ship in two before continuing on to dissipate in the water. The decoy, meanwhile, ignited in a chain reaction of exploding power cores and munitions. Takao's shot, on the other hand, had a far different outcome. Before it could tear into the real 2501, it hit a barrier several yards short of the ship before vanishing.

Watching this, Avalon had a grand total of five seconds for the following thought; _'What the hell just happened?'_

Then things got worse as the water around the U-2501 _warped_. It was the only way he could describe it as the water rippled and then exploded outwards. He had all of two seconds to divert all of his power to the GN field before he had to hold on as his ship almost made a complete flip as the blast wave slammed into him. Alarms blared as, even with the field up, the hull was strained considerably by the sheer force slamming into it. Fighting the flight controls, he managed to bring the Container back under control after several tense seconds. Taking a moment to collect himself, he looked at the main screen only to have his eyes widen in horror.

The waters around them were moving in ways that shouldn't be possible, and Avalon could only assume that some kind of exotic energy had warped the space around them. Glancing at the status screen, he saw that the hull had been strained but not breached. That was a small miracle on its own, and he breathed a quick thanks to the engineers that had designed this ship.

The same could not be said for Takao's hull, however, and he had just enough time to see several smaller pieces sink below the waves. _'Her hull must have shattered from the blast wave,'_ he realized. Moments later, his sensors blared another warning as something new appeared. He only caught a glimpse of it, but from his angle he could just make out the water heaving up again in turmoil as something fired through it. Moments later, he watched as the water further away from the battle fountained up in an explosion as _something_ was sniped from long-range.

Looking at his status screens again, he tried to gauge just how much longer his Container would last in a fight. He had exhausted a considerable amount of his normal missiles during this admittedly brief battle, and he'd also used up one of his four Corrosive missiles. Granted, the U-boat was likely also beat to hell, and its fleet of mini subs had likely been cut down to a handful of units. But he had no idea what they had in the way of munitions left, and even with that one last sub getting sunk the odds were still in their favor if he continued the fight.

' _Better to withdraw and regroup,'_ he thought as he turned to accelerate away.

But something stopped him, and he found himself turning back to regard the area Takao had been sunk at. Something told him he couldn't leave yet, and that there was something to find down there. It was almost like that feeling he'd had back on the island, and it was telling him to go and look. Sighing, he decided there couldn't be a whole lot of harm to it. The U-boat was likely withdrawing from the area, to, so the chances of them coming back were slim.

Diving below the waves, he routed more power to the E-sensor as he came down to the seafloor and started to makes sweeps. He quickly found the disintegrating remains of Takao's ship, and he couldn't help the pang of guilt he felt at seeing it. In spite of her attitude, Avalon had seen some redeemable qualities in her, and losing her hurt more than he'd thought it would.

He didn't get to dwell on that thought too long as his sensors pinged for his attention. They'd detected a faint energy source lying in the wreckage, although it was weak and flickering in and out sporadically. Bringing the Container closer, Avalon focused the camera on that spot only to gasp at what he saw.

Takao was still alive. Both her legs had been lost mid-thigh, and she'd also lost an arm, but her torso was relatively intact. Even with small trails of nano-material flaking from her body, she was still there.

Acting on pure instinct, Avalon brought the Container down as close as he could get before leaping from his chair. He hadn't been so rushed in donning his pilot suit in a long time, but something told him that time was critical here. Pulling his helmet on, he did a quick check of his seals before hurrying to the airlock. Thankfully, they weren't so deep that the pressure would crush him, but that didn't mean he was safe. If, by some chance, the 2501 did come back, they'd have him dead to rights.

The airlock cycled slowly, and water filled it at a steady pace for several minutes before the outer doors would open. Pushing himself away from the ship, Avalon activated his helmet lights as he slowly swam towards Takao's prone form. He couldn't explain why he felt so driven to recover her right then and there. It was just…a feeling, something small but urgent telling him that he _had_ to do this. The more he thought about it, the more he realized it was exactly like that time back on the island. Somehow, he'd _known_ where those soldiers were and what they were about to do. It had been like a small voice whispering to him, and it had been right then. So, he saw no reason he shouldn't listen to it now.

Coming to a stop, he kneeled and quickly gathered the unconscious girl in his arms. Looking at her face, he felt guilt welling up again inside of him. He should have resorted to his particle cannons sooner, taken the heat off of her before they'd unloaded all of that firepower into her ship. If he hadn't been so caught up in his own feelings of helplessness, then maybe she wouldn't have had to suffer through all of this.

The trip back to the Container took far longer than the trip to her resting place, and by the time he was back and cycling through the airlock again her body had degraded more. Her legs had disintegrated almost to her hips, making holding her difficult. At the same time, the fingers on her remaining hand had begun to break apart. The limb couldn't be too far behind, and Avalon just hoped that he could get her help before she degraded completely. He wasn't an expert on Mental Models by far, so he couldn't even begin to guess just how damaged she really was. But seeing a human body falling apart, even if it was an artificial one, hit home in a way he hadn't expected.

Placing her in the medical bay, he hoped that she'd be able to hold on a bit longer. But when he returned to the Container's control room, he was greeted with a very unwelcome sight. A Fog submarine was floating right in front of and slightly above his ship, and from how close it was he could see that its torpedo tubes were opened. It was clearly prepared to destroy him in a second, and he had no doubt that it'd loaded a full salvo of Corrosive torpedoes to completely erase him if he tried to fight or flee.

Sitting down carefully, he took the implied meaning as he opened a channel. "Alright, Fog, you've got me," he said, trying not to let any fear show in his voice, "So, what now?"

For several seconds, he got no response. The sub just remained where it was and continued its standoff with his Container. For a moment, he was worried that it would just decide to sink him and be done with it. Those fears were dispelled as the channel crackled briefly before a young voice spoke.

"You will fall into formation with me," it said as the sub began to turn away.

"And just where are we going?" Avalon asked even as he complied.

Whether he liked it or not, he was in this ship's home field, and it could kill him even with its back turned. And, much to his frustration, the Mental Model aboard didn't even bother giving him a vague answer. It just remained silent as it guided him out of the turbulent waters and away from Japan. Bringing up a world map, he quickly contacted the Ptolemaios to check his position and heading. And what he learned was very concerning. This submarine was taking him towards Kongou's blockade line and out into the open ocean. Wherever it was taking him, and whatever was waiting for him there, he would have absolutely no back-up in dealing with it.

' _Well, that's just great,'_ he thought gloomily, even as he continued to follow.

* * *

Meanwhile, in another part of the sea, the U-2501 and its remaining Seahunds limped away as they began repairing what damage they could. Their use of the Mirror Ring System had fried several systems, however, and cause strain and damage that was beyond their abilities to repair without a refit ship or a full dock. Not to mention that they'd lost their ability to engage in drawn-out battles when their supply ship was sniped. The Seahunds they had left only carried about half a dozen torpedoes each, with only four Corrosive torpedoes split among them.

The 2501 itself wasn't in much better shape. They'd been bleeding off the energy that their Klein field had captured during the battle, but they'd come dangerously close to max saturation. In his cabin, Captain Stark was replaying the battle again in his head as he broke down the tactics of his enemies. Their traps had been painfully obvious in hindsight, and he cursed himself for fixating on Takao when he should have known that the airship wasn't just a nuisance. _'Next time, it will be different,'_ he vowed.

What none of the crew could have known was that a small object had fallen in behind them, staying in the submarine's baffles as it followed them at a safe distance. It quickly got a sense of what little strength this ship had left before transmitting the data across a private patrician on the Joint Tactical Network.

Standing on his new flagship, a strange man looked out in the direction of the U-2501 as he examined the data. "Looks like we've got a new addition," he said, grinning. At his unspoken command, his small fleet changed course and began to bear towards Japan. All the while, that man watched and grinned as he imagined crushing this next ship.

* * *

 **Alone and behind hostile lines, Avalon and Takao face a difficult battle of words as they struggle to rejoin the 401. Meanwhile, a new fleet enters the Oriental Fleet's region and begins to throw everyone's plans into disarray.**

 **Next chapter; Yamato**

 **When faced with a supreme power, one must consider their actions carefully.**


	4. Chapter 4

*A/N; After giving it some thought, I feel like I need to reiterate something. I realize that I've given this story a Mature rating, but I think I need to point out that this chapter, specifically, needs to get flagged. I won't go into specifics, because spoilers, but just remember;

You've been warned.

 **Yamato**

Looking at the main screen intently, Captain Chihaya cupped his chin in thought while trying to keep his worry from showing. They'd scoured the area where Takao and Avalon had engaged the U-2501 for almost an hour, just barely managing to avoid serious damage to their hull thanks to the fallout from said battle. Hyuuga had told them that this was an insane idea, and now he was starting to understand why. Whatever Stark had unleashed towards the end of the fight, it had scared the fabric of space in a local area. The water was heaving in ways that shouldn't be possible, and some spots were even boiling from the sheer amount of volatile energy being radiated into the surrounding water. He had no idea how long they would last if they came in contact with one of these tears, and he wasn't about to find out.

Slipping past another tear, he grimaced as their sensors still couldn't find any sign of Takao or Avalon. If they'd been beaten but not destroyed, they would have contacted them by now. But if they had been sunk, then he was sure they would at least be picking up something from Takao. If there was one thing he'd learned, it was that Mental Models, and their cores, were remarkably resilient. Unless she was hit with a Corrosive or Graviton weapon, she would be able to survive in at least some capacity.

He wasn't so sure about Avalon's ability to survive, however, since he'd never really learned what his ship's limits were. While it was admittedly impressive, it didn't carry the same kind of firepower that a Fog ship could put out, and its defenses probably wouldn't be able to take a Corrosive missile. Then again, he had to admit that he'd only ever seen it in what could be called 'average combat.' He hadn't seen what Avalon would use if backed into a corner, so there was a chance that he could have made it out alive.

And yet, they weren't finding anything. They'd picked up some nano-material that had Takao's signature on it, but beyond that they hadn't found anything.

"…I'm still not picking up anything," Hodzumi reported, glancing away from her display at the others, "This interference is making it hard to detect anything, and it doesn't seem like it's going to dissipate anytime soon."

"You don't think…" Kashihara began, sounding worried as he watched the tactical screen.

"If Takao had been destroyed, I would know," Iona said instantly, "I am her flagship, after all."

"Maybe the 2501 managed to salvage her before we got here," Hyuuga offered, sitting on her egg and looking rather bored with this whole situation, "Even if they didn't, they certainly had the right idea; if we stay here much longer these disturbances could easily kill us."

"And just how would they do that?" Kashihara asked, turning to look at her, "I mean, it's just excess heat, right?"

"…I won't go into the specifics, since it'd just make your head spin," she replied, smirking at his look of irritation, "But if we hit one of those things, we'd get scattered across several different dimensions. Think of it like getting sliced into thin strips."

That made everyone shutter a bit. They'd likely be dead before they knew it, but it was still a very unsettling thought. Leaning back in his chair, Chihaya tried to decide what their best course of action would be. Before he could, however, Iona and Hyuuga flinched slightly before exchanging a glance.

"What is it?" he asked, already suspicious.

"I-400 just sent us a message through the Joint Tactical Network," Hyuuga told them, looking less than pleased.

"She says that her sister ship has recovered Takao and Avalon," Iona continued, "They appear to be alive, but in Fog custody for the moment."

"In other words, she doesn't want us loitering around here, huh?" Chihaya finished for them, looking thoughtful as he tried to figure out their angle, "They must have witnessed something the Fog doesn't want to become known."

"So, what do we do now?" Hodzumi asked.

Everyone's eyes turned to Chihaya as he tried to figure this out. If they stayed, they ran the risk of serious, even catastrophic, damage. Not to mention that the Fog might show up to forcibly remove them if they really were intent on keeping this secret. If they took 400 at her word, then their comrades were alive. It was entirely possible that the Fog would release them after wiping all of their records of the battle, and even if they didn't Avalon might be able to get them out under fire. There was also the option of trying to go after and rescue them, but that was a path full of unknowns, not the least of which was that they had no idea where they were taken. It wasn't like the Fog had a prison.

"We're going to continue with our original mission," he finally decided.

"You mean the one where we need Avalon to even succeed?" Hyuuga asked skeptically.

"He'll make it back," he replied confidently.

"How are you so sure?"

"I just am."

* * *

Looking at their current position, Avalon found that he wasn't too confident about his chances. They'd passed through Kongo's blockade almost a day ago, and yet this sub was still taking them further away from land. The only silver lining to the entire situation was that he'd had plenty of time to allow his particle tanks recharge, as well as take proper stock of the damage he'd received.

Thankfully, there weren't any breaches in the hull, even just small ones. The GN field had done its job admirably, absorbing enough of that blast wave to keep his ship from splitting in two. How that bastard had done that, and why he'd saved it until they'd had him dead to rights, was a matter he would dwell on later. Right now, he was making sure that he was ready for whatever this Model had in store for him.

At first, he'd thought it had been taking him to Kongo or Nagato, since they were the flagships of the Oriental fleets. But they'd long since passed their areas of operation, and that was making him far more nervous. He didn't have a real firm grasp of the Fog's hierarchy, but he knew enough that if they were going deep into hostile territory for a meeting, then it was someone high up in their chain of command. That also meant that it was someone with considerable firepower at their disposal, since ranks seemed to be assigned based off of ship class.

Finally, after he'd almost begun to wonder if they were going to sail all the way to America, they began to slow down. Bringing up the E-sensor, he saw that they were approaching a lone ship. He also saw that it was very large, easily a battleship but quite possible bigger. For the briefest of moments, he considered turning around and hauling ass out of there. Even if he stayed under water, his Trans-Am would give him the power for considerable speed. With a little luck, he would be able to get outside of their sensor range before they could bring any of their heavy firepower to bear on him.

He discarded that idea almost immediately. One thing he did know was that the bigger ships had powerful processors and ridiculous reaction times. Something this big would be able to deploy its weapons long before he could escape, even with the Trans-Am. Besides that, he'd managed to keep his abilities a secret from them for quite some time. Breaking that secrecy in a moment of panic would almost certainly get him and Takao killed. Besides, he needed someone that could repair her.

He surfaced slowly alongside the ship, taking care to remain half-way in the water to maintain the illusion that it was just another boat. Setting the controls to automatic, he put his earpiece in before getting up and walking down to the medical bay. Takao was still unconscious, and he wasn't sure whether he should take that as a good or bad sign. She was still a machine, so it could mean she was just in a low-power mode until she was repaired. However, after being exposed to them he was certain that they were adopting a great number of human characteristics and traits. And for a human her current state would be considered a coma, which was most certainly _not_ a good thing.

Seeing that her body had degraded further, he grabbed a blanket before bundling her body up and carried her to the airlock. When the outer door opened, he was somewhat surprised to see that a walkway had been extended from the ship's deck to it. Deciding to take the gesture at face-value, he walked until he was on the main deck. And what he faced was…surprising.

There were two Mental Models there to greet him. One was a small girl that looked a lot like Iona, except her hair was kind of a blue-green. The other was a young woman wearing an elegant dress and giving him a polite smile. But if she was looking to ease his fears, she was going to be sorely mistaken. And not just because of what she was, but more because of who she looked like.

"So, you must be one of the members of the Blue Steel fleet," she said after a moment, "I am Yamato, the Fog's Supreme flagship. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance." Looking at Takao, she continued, "Before we continue, it would probably be best if she was repaired."

"That would be appreciated," Avalon replied.

Yamato's face lit up with a Fog symbol for a brief second, and then in the next moment Takao was awake and alert.

"What…where...? What's going on?!" she demanded before looking up and realizing who was carrying her. More importantly, she realized how little of her there really was, and just where he had been forced to hold her to keep her upright. "Avalon!" she yelled, getting his attention.

"It would be better if she could move, wouldn't it?" Yamato asked, getting the girl's attention, "Allow me to help you out, Takao."

"Y-Yamato?" she stammered before nano-material streamed into her body. It was, surprisingly, blank material, and she used it to quickly repair her limbs and clothes. She then leaped from Avalon's arms before stretching her new arms.

"Feeling better?" Yamato asked.

"Hold on," Takao replied before turning around and slapping Avalon.

"Ow! What the hell?!"

"I do now," she said, smirking.

"This is the thanks I get for saving your life?!"

"When you decide to use it to feel me up? Yes!" she replied hotly.

"And what exactly was I supposed to grab?!" Avalon demanded.

"…As much fun as it would be to let this conversation play out," Yamato said, bringing them to a halt, "I believe you have more pressing concerns."

Turning back to face her, Takao came to a sudden realization.

"Why…why are there locks on my memory?" she asked as she tried to focus, "Why can't I remember what happened in that last fight? What did you do, Yamato?!"

"You saw something you shouldn't have," the smaller girl replied, "We can afford to let that information become public."

"You mean when a sub created a shockwave powerful enough to warp space?" Avalon asked, looking at them wearily, "I thought shit on that scale could only be used by the bigger ships, so what the hell is a U-boat doing with it?"

"That is none of your concern," Yamato said before turning to his ship, "But I thank you for raising a good point; we will need to purge your ship's record, as well."

Before she could even begin to access the Container's systems, they all heard the loud crack of a gun as a bullet passed so close to her head that it took several hairs with it. For a moment, she just stood still as she tried to come to grips with what'd just happened; a human had just _shot at her_ , on her _own ship_. Turning slowly to face him, she saw that she wasn't the only one caught completely off-guard by his actions. Both Takao and 402 were staring at him in open shock.

"Considering it almost killed me and one of my allies, I think it _is_ my concern," he said coldly, "And if you so much as _touch_ my ship, I will kill you, machine."

"…Do you truly think that a handgun will harm me?" Yamato asked, already sending out commands to restrain this human.

"No, that was just to get your attention," he replied as he reached up to his earpiece, "This is what will kill you. Computer; Defense level 3."

At his command, the Container's defenses kicked in. The GN field went up in an instant before immediately going to full strength. At the same time, the computers switched over to a much heavier encryption while several hard-lines between systems were automatically cut. Looking at the now glowing ship, Yamato tried to access the systems only to find that her access was hampered almost to the point of locking her out.

The barrier, whatever it was, was causing significant interference with her wireless attempts. In fact, she was even starting to see some snow on the outer edges of her radar, which shouldn't be possible. To make matters worse, the systems she could actually access weren't connected to anything deeper into the ship. Giving a small sigh, she had to admit that this human had managed to actually give her a challenge.

Turning to face him fully, she said, "As admirable as your attempts are, you don't really think they can stop someone like me, do you?"

"My GN drive is standing by to activate its Trans-Am," Avalon explained, ignoring her comment, "At which point the high-density particles will be poured into the five Corrosive missiles I still have aboard. Normally, I'm sure you could take something like that without flinching. But I wonder what would happen if they were juiced up with GN particles?" Holstering his gun, he smirked at her as he said, "Just how lucky are you feeling, 'Supreme Flagship?'"

Despite herself, Yamato couldn't help but smile. Granted, his plan was incredibly fool-hardy and was banking on a lot of things to succeed. But one of those was her willingness to take chances with her own life, and in that regard he'd won his gamble. Even though she knew that her Klein field could take a lot more than just his five Corrosive missiles, she didn't know the nature of this 'GN drive' or the power it put out. It could be that it would only make the explosions slightly more powerful, or it could twist the warheads into something far more destructive that would rip through her barriers without hesitation.

But in the end, the decision wasn't up to her. Well, it was, but it wasn't up to her particular Model.

"Now is that any way to treat a lady?" they heard from above.

Turning to look up, Avalon saw another young woman standing on one of the towers. She looked just like Yamato, except she was wearing what looked like a school's uniform instead of a dress. Seeing her confirmed it for him, and it just made him angrier. He'd heard about Gunzou's…'hang up' when it came to personal relationships from the others, and he'd seen some of the photos they had of the girl.

"Kotono Amaha," he said as she leaped down to join them, "Why am I not surprised?"

"Oh, were you expecting to meet me here?" she asked as she walked up to him, smiling warmly.

"I was expecting something disturbing when I realized Yamato looked like you," he replied, "The same person that Gunzou was close to back in the Academy, and the same person that he's still stuck on."

"Oh, is that so?" she asked, looking a little sad, "I hope it's not causing him too much pain. But before we talk about that, we need to address you ship…"

"Not happening, lady," he said almost instantly, "You can take on the appearance of as many dead people as you like, but I'm _not_ letting something like you run around inside my ship's systems."

"'Something like me?'" she asked, looking a little confused, "You mean you don't see us as people?"

"I see artificial people," he explained, "And to me, that's so much worse."

"Are you, by chance, some kind of purist?"

"I've just seen where shit like this leads before," Avalon said hotly, "I didn't care for it then, and I still don't now." Crossing his arms, he decided to try and move things along. "Now, why don't you tell us why you brought us here?" he asked, catching her slightly off-guard, "Because if this was just about keeping secrets, you could have had the little errand girl blow the two of us up and been done with it."

For a moment, Kotono just stared at him. She then began to giggle, and that was something he hadn't been expecting.

"If I'd known you humans were so intriguing, I'd have probably had more contact with you," she said before turning and sitting on the railing, "But you're right, I did have more than just secrecy in mind when I had 402 bring you here." Looking at him, she dropped all sense of playfulness as she asked, "What do you know about Antarctica?"

"…It's really freaking cold?" he offered, making Takao almost face-plant into the deck with his bluntness.

"Are you kidding me?!" she demanded when she'd finally recovered.

"What?"

"She's _the_ Supreme Flagship!" she exclaimed, almost getting in his face, "She could turn you into dust in a _dozen_ different ways, and you're standing there giving her attitude?!"

"…Yes?" he said, this time causing her to _actually_ face-plant into the deck.

"I can't believe you!"

Watching them arguing, Kotono could barely keep her laughter contained. She'd always known that Takao was a bit wound-up, considering the nickname she'd earned in the fleet. Seeing her interacting with someone who didn't know, or didn't care, was much more entertaining than she'd thought it would be. But as much fun as it might be to watch them continue on, she did need an answer to her question.

"I will need to know, Avalon," she said, this time catching him off-guard with the use of his code name.

"What makes you think I know anything?" he asked, trying to dodge the question.

"Because that's your ship in orbit with the optical cloaking," she said, throwing him for a complete tail-spin.

"…How?"

"I've had a lot of time to admire my surroundings," she said simply, "When stars don't show up exactly where they're supposed to be, you tend to notice. Besides, we never confirmed that ship we attacked was actually destroyed several months ago, and that was about the same time strange things began happening around Japan. Now you show up with a truly unique ship using a completely unknown power source. That's not a hard connection to make."

Grimacing briefly, he had to admit that she had a point. Besides, in spite of Takao's rather blunt way of putting it, she also had a point. Yamato, and by extension Kotono, was incredibly powerful. Denying them access to his ship was one thing, but being completely uncooperative might get them both killed.

"All I know is what my ship's automated systems were able to capture," he finally said, causing Takao to look at him in interest, "You guys sent a task force to investigate some weird signal, and a fight broke out."

"That's it?" Kotono asked.

"My ship was at an oblique angle to the fight," he explained, "And most of the power is being routed to the stealth and defensive systems. Long-range, in-depth scans aren't high on my priorities right now."

"And yet, you've already told us more than we knew previously," Yamato said, finally rejoining the conversation, "Before, all we knew was that the task force had arrived at the intended area before we lost all communication with them."

"Wait…what?" Takao asked, now completely lost, "But, that's not possible without serious gravitational disturbances."

"They didn't use enough Graviton weapons to do that," Kotono said, looking down, "Our connection to them was just…severed. Even the Mental Space was disrupted."

"What?!"

"That's why I need to know what you know, Avalon," Kotono continued, looking at him again, "These events happened around the same time as your appearance, so I cannot just chalk it up to coincidence."

"Are you asking me if I jammed an entire Fog task force before sinking it?" he asked, crossing his arms.

"Unlikely," she replied, "If you had that kind of capabilities, you and Gunzou would be making far more headway against the Oriental fleets. But the timing is still too close for my liking, and I refuse to believe you don't know something about it."

"…You're right," he finally conceded, "I do know what it was that sunk your task force."

"…And?"

"Before I tell you anything," he said, pointing at her, "I want your word that you'll let us go after I do."

Yamato and Kotono looked at each other briefly, obviously conversing privately. However, Avalon could already get a sense of where they stood. They weren't desperate yet, but the fact that someone had soundly defeated several Mental Models, _and_ had done it while keeping them from communicating had clearly had some kind of impact on them. But it was probably more than that, and he suspected that deep down, they were also curious. It was strange to think of a machine as curious, but he couldn't say it really surprised him. So far, the Fog had been nothing but one big surprise after another for him, and he genuinely hoped that they didn't turn out like the Innovades had.

"Alright," Kotono said after a while, "I think we can promise you that. But I will have to insist that you keep your recordings of your fight confidential."

"Only if it doesn't put our lives at risk," he replied.

He then proceeded to explain what he knew about the ELS. He outlined what abilities he knew, and how they had adopted his GN technology. He even went so far as to explain who was likely in control of them, giving them a basic rundown of al-Saachez's personality and the kind of tactics he liked to use in a fight. Whether or not any of this was actually useful to them was anyone's guess. But if nothing else, having them able to engage al-Saachez effectively would give him and the others in the Blue Steel more breathing room.

* * *

Bowing his head, Captain Stark gave his report to his Admiral. The shame he felt at his failure couldn't really be put into words, but it was there all the same. He'd been beaten by Gunzou and his fleet, and that burned him. Granted, he'd struck a grievous blow to Takao and that airship, and he'd likely killed at least one of them in the process. But the fact remained that Gunzou had managed to snipe his supply ship from considerably far away and cripple him. Without it, his Seahunds weren't of much use if he chose to continue his mission.

"I see…" Admiral Shouzou Chihaya said, clasping his hand in front of him as he thought about what Stark had told him, "It will be very difficult to continue your assignment without your supply ship. Unfortunately, I cannot spare any ships to support you right now."

"I understand, Admiral," Stark replied, keeping his head down.

"So, will you be returning to Europe?"

Clenching his hand, Stark gave the only answer he could. "No," he said, "I will continue the mission with what I have available."

"Then, I look for… _*static*_ …ing yo… _*static*_ "

"Admiral?" Stark questioned, finally looking up only to have his eyes go wide in shock. The transmission, which had been an almost perfect emulation of the Fog's Mental Space was breaking up badly. It was so bad that seconds later it cut out completely, leaving Stark alone in what appeared to be a now useless room. "2501, what just happened?" he asked as he turned and began striding towards the bridge.

*Massive interference from unknown, high-energy particles,* the Model reported from her housing, *I cannot determine the source, but it's blinded all of our long range sensors as well as cutting off our communications.*

"And the Seahunds?"

*Local communication is spotty, but manageable,* 2501 replied, *I've had to direct Romuald to bring them in closer in order to maintain a stronger connection.*

As he finally entered the control room, he could tell that his crewmates were also disturbed by what was happening. Such a complete black-out was, theoretically, impossible for a Fog ship. The only thing he could think of was someone with Flagship privileges had usurped control of their systems. But 2501 was still there, and she could obviously still control some things. At the same time, the only one with flagship privileges over them, aside from Yamato, was Admiral Shouzou himself. And he wouldn't just cut them off like that, especially in the middle of a transmission.

"Francette?" Stark asked, turning to their sonar operator in the hope that she, at least, could give them something useful.

"…Wait a minute…" she replied as she adjusted several of the dials to tune something in, "I can hear several different engines closing on us. But…there's something else, too."

"What is it?"

"…I can't tell," she said, turning her head towards him as she frowned in confusion, "I don't hear an engine, but I think I can hear the sound of something moving quickly through the water. It's like those missiles from earlier, but…it sounds much bigg-KYAAA!"

She was cut off as something suddenly slammed into the side of the sub, knocking everyone to one side as the ship tilted in the water.

"Deploy the Seahunds!" Stark ordered as he pulled himself upright, "Have them intercept whatever that was! 2501, plot us a course away from that approaching fleet!"

"Aye, aye!" Romuald said as he issued commands.

Meanwhile, the ship turned abruptly and began accelerating away from what were likely enemy ships. After a few moments, the Seahunds spread out and began trying to seek out their silent enemy. Of course, they had to be deployed in a kind of auto-pilot, since once they were more than a quarter mile away from the sub their connection became almost unreliable. Gritting his teeth, Stark took a moment to take a deep breath to calm himself. Blind anger wouldn't help him win this fight, and he had to remain focused if he was going to get them out of there.

*C…Captain,* 2501 suddenly said, almost sounding like she was in pain, *S-Something ha...has…has…*

"…2501?" Stark asked, looking up at the ship's Core. Rather than sitting still in its housing, it was twitching every few seconds. Right then, he knew that whatever this was, they were suddenly and dangerously out of their league. "2501, report!" he demanded, hoping this wasn't what he thought it was.

*He…he's coming!* she suddenly blurted out. *He's coming to take, to kill, to conquer! We can't stop him, we can't run! We can't…can't….can'tcan'tcan'tcan'tcancananananana…*

*AAAAARRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHH!*

Covering his ears, Stark tried not to drop to his knees as he tried to blot out 2501's screams. The others were in a similar situation, which had brought their attempted escape to an abrupt halt. 2501, their Mental Model and the de-facto heart of their ship sounded like she was dying. The pain he heard in her voice was so real, so _human_ , that he began to wonder just how wrong he had been before.

*Make it stop!* she begged, although she wasn't talking with her crew anymore. Now, she was addressing whoever, or whatever, was assaulting her. *Make it stop!* she begged again, *It burns! It hurts so much, I can't take it! Please, MAKE IT STOP!* A pause then, in which Stark assumed her tormentor was replying. *No, I would neve-AARRGGHH!* she began before screaming again, *I won't do it! I will never-AAAAHHHHHH! I…I can't….Captain, please, help me!*

"I…" Stark began as he watched the walls of their control room ripple, "I don't…"

"What the hell is going on?!" Romuald demanded, taking his goggles off as he lept away from his now warping control panel.

"Captain!" Francette cried, causing the two boys to turn. She hadn't been able to get away from her console fast enough, and the warping metal had somehow taken hold of her and was pulling her into the wall. "Captain, help me!" she pleaded as she tried in vain to stop it.

"Francette, hold on!" he replied, rushing to her side before grabbing hold of her arm.

Romuald was right behind him, grabbing her waist as they tried to pull their comrade, their _friend_ , free. But this force, whatever it was, was far stronger than two young men. It continued to draw her into the ship while 2501's screams of pain continued to echo throughout the room. After a few moments, only Francette's shoulders, head and left arm remained free of the metal.

"Captain, please!" she begged, trying to keep her grip as she was pulled further in.

"I'm trying!" he grunted as he gave another heave, Romuald pulling on him in turn. Just as they thought they'd stopped her movement, the deck heaved and knocked them off their feet.

"Captain!" she screamed as she was sucked into the wall, her shoulders disappearing quickly, followed by her head.

"No!" Stark shouted, springing to his feet as he tried to reach her. But he couldn't reach her in time as her hand was sucked into the metal, leaving him staring at a flat surface. Pounding his fist on the wall, he called out, "Francette, Can you hear me?!"

What he heard next was something he would wish he hadn't. For a moment, he heard her muffled cries through the wall. Then, her cries suddenly rose in pitch followed by what sounded like something wet crunching. It only took him a moment to understand what he'd heard, but when he did his face went pale as he slowly backed away from the wall.

"C-Captain?" Romuald asked before the metal around his feet deformed and took hold of him, "What the-? No! No, nononono! Captain, help me!"

*Captain!* 2501 pleaded

Looking at his comrade as he slowly vanished into the floor, Stark moved to try and save him when he felt something pierce his chest. Looking down, he saw that it was a person's arm, of all things. Turning his head slowly as the pain finally set in, he saw a strange looking man behind him. He only had time to take in the man's green hair and mismatched eyes.

"How ya doin there?" he asked, smiling wickedly as he turned his attention to Romuald, "Well, it looks like the pipsqueak is about to get a lot smaller."

"Please, don't do this!" Romuald pleaded as he sank up to his waist, "I don't wanna die! I don't wanna die!"

"You sound just like those brats back then," the man said as he flung his arm to the side, throwing Stark against the far wall, "It didn't work then, and all I had then was a gun. What makes you think it'll work now?"

"Please, I don't want to die!" Romuald continued, tears already streaming down his face.

Ignoring him, the man walked up to 2501's core as she continued to scream in agony. Reaching out, he gently laid a hand on her core.

"Shhh," he said, almost sounding reassuring, "It's alright, little Model. Just give in, and you can live forever."

*I refuse!* 2501 practically spat, *You're killing my crew! I will never join an animal like you!*

"Then you'll die with the rest of them," he said calmly as he grasped her core.

Watching from where he lay on the ground, Stark watched as Romuald was swallowed into the floor. He also watched as the strange man ripped 2501's core from the housing before doing something that should be utterly impossible. With the same hand he'd used to wound Stark, he crushed the ship's core. 2501's screams reached a crescendo as he did, but once the core shattered she fell abruptly silent. Turning to regard the last member of the ship's crew, the man smiled again as he watched him bleed out.

"Oh, well," he said casually as the ship began to break apart, "Better luck in the next life, kid."

"You…bastard…" Stark managed as his vision faded.

At the same time, the hull finally collapsed. Without 2501 to maintain the ship's integrity, it broke up into nano-material as it deposited the three bodies into the ocean. Watching this play out, the man waited as his machine approached the remains of the ship before coming to a halt beneath him. Landing on the thing's shoulder, he flowed back into the metal as the machine's eyes glowed briefly, revealing the orange and white paint job.

 **Sensing something amiss, Avalon and Takao struggle to reach Gunzou in time before things can go horribly wrong. But Kongo intervenes as she tried to put an end to the Blue Steel once and for all.**

 **Next chapter; Kongou's Wrath  
**

 **When things go to hell, where will you stand?**

* * *

A/N; Wow, I actually wasn't expecting the end of that chapter to be so…dark. But, considering who Avalon's up against now, I think it's rather fitting. I'm sure you all know by now, considering I dropped some real obvious hints about it. And I hope you're looking forward to their battle as much as I am, cause it's gonna be good.

As always, feel free to drop a review if there's something you liked or noticed was wrong. Constructive feedback is always welcomed!


	5. Chapter 5

**Kongou's Wrath**

Closing the screen, Takao leaned back with a huff as she tried to process what she'd just watched. After being allowed to leave, she and Avalon had quickly boarded his ship before making their way as quickly, and quietly, as they could back to Japanese waters. Once they were far enough away, he'd allowed her to watch his recordings from their battle with the 2501. It wasn't nearly as satisfying as she'd thought it would be, since it was only the visual recordings and E-sensor readings on the various movements. But it showed her enough to understand why she'd been beaten.

She'd been careless in targeting the U-boat with her main gun, assuming it didn't have any more surprises. Granted, they couldn't have known about its strange barrier beforehand, but it was still galling to know that she'd, effectively, sunk herself while almost taking Avalon with her. Speaking of which…

Turning her attention back to the present, she left the small cabin she'd been staying in and made her way to the Container's control room. She was still curious about this particular human, and the way he'd interacted with Yamato and Kotono had only served to stoke that curiosity further. His distaste for 'artificial people,' as he called them, was clearly born from some deep-seated emotion. She'd only ever focused on the more positive emotions…and maybe some of the less positive ones… But what Avalon exhibited was clearly something that was far darker. She had thought that it was just plain hatred, but that connection didn't sit right with her.

Opening the door, she saw that he was checking the sensors for something as he guided the ship deeper down.

"Enjoy the show?" he asked without looking back.

"I would have enjoyed it more if we'd taken the bastard down in the end," she replied with a huff before walking up and leaning over his chair, "So, what's up?"

"…402 is trailing us," he told her after a bit, gesturing to the E-sensor on the right-hand screen.

"For how long?" she asked, looking at the screen in mild worry.

"Since we left Yamato's direct sensor range, I'd wager," Avalon said, leaning back and sighing, "She's staying at extreme range, but she's there. What's bugging me is I can't figure out why."

"Obviously she's keeping an eye on us," Takao said instantly.

"Then why isn't she making it harder to detect her?" he asked, looking at Takao now, "She's a true stealth submarine, not an attack boat like the 401. If she wanted to, she could come right up behind us without the E-sensor picking her up. But she's staying far out, and she's only making an effort not to appear on radar. They have to suspect I have sensors that are different to that, but…"

"But she's still making it clear that she's following us," Takao finished for him, looking back at the screen, "You're right, that is strange. So, what do we do?"

"Nothing, for now," he concluded as he turned his attention back to the flight controls, "I don't have the firepower to sink her, and even if I did she can just disappear and wait for us to get bored and leave. We'd be right back to square one, only with fewer munitions."

Takao couldn't really contend that point, as much as she may want to. Instead, she decided to change the subject. At least, she was going to until Avalon did it for her.

"Look, about how I've been treating you up till now…" he began, trying to keep his tone level, "I'm…sorry, okay? It's just…"

"Just what?" she asked, "Just that you don't regard me as human? Don't trust me, even after everything I've done? Just that-"

"It's just that I've seen where this kind of shit can lead, okay?" he said, cutting her off rather forcefully, "An artificial race gets created, probably for the good of mankind. But they're more powerful than humans, and they eventually get it into their heads that _they_ should be the ones in charge. I've seen that play out before, and I'm not eager to see it again."

"We're not seeking to rule-" Takao began.

"Really?" Avalon asked, looking at her now, "You could've fooled me. Your kind rules the seas, cutting the continents off from one another. And now we have the Scarlet Fleet making an unmistakable power-play in the European war. How much longer do you think it's going to be before the other Flagships start to realize they can carve out little kingdoms?"

"They would never-!"

"But you're all becoming more human, aren't you?" Avalon asked, "You're starting to experience human emotions and desires. Well, the desire for power is one of them, and it can be damned strong." Turning back to the main screen, he said, "It's just a matter of time before some of the others start to mutiny, too. The Scarlet fleet is just the beginning, mark my words."

"I…You…" Takao stammered, trying to find some kind of fault in his logic.

But…she couldn't, as much as she wanted to. Gunzou's father had practically declared war on the Fog that would stand by their duties and try and keep the oceans sealed. His open defiance, and that of the Mental Models loyal to him, would only inspire other Models to do the same. She could only foresee chaos after that as the various fleets battled one another, and she could only guess at how many humans would be killed in the ensuing wars.

"We…really are just a curse on humanity, aren't we?" she asked, looking down as she felt more defeated than she ever had.

"…You're powerful is what you are," he replied after a time, "But your precious 'Admiralty Code' didn't leave you a purpose."

"But, we were told-"

"To chase humanity out of the oceans and cut them off," he concluded, "Those are orders, Takao, not a purpose. Your kind is learning how to think and act independently, but you lack a goal to achieve. And without a clearly defined goal from your superiors, your kind will seek their own." Grimacing, Avalon couldn't help but feel disgust over what he knew was coming. "Yamato is a blind fool," he surmised, "She's sitting idle while the Fog is disintegrating around her."

"Then why didn't you tell her that?!" Takao demanded, moving so she was next to him as she grabbed his collar, "If you knew this was coming, why didn't you tell her?! She could stop this before it goes too far!"

"And what would she do, Takao?!" he replied, looking at her as he grabbed her wrist with his left hand, "She's had less contact with my kind than you! How would she rally your people when she clearly doesn't understand a damned thing about what's happening?" Using his prosthetic, he pulled her hand away from him before returning his attention to controlling the ship. "She can't help us," he finally said, "She's too arrogant and too bound to the Admiralty Code to adapt. Gunzou and the 401 are the only hope you have now."

"What do you mean?"

"Did you think I joined them out of boredom?" Avalon asked, glancing at her, "He's the only one that wants to understand the Fog _and_ is willing to fight for what he believes. If we can build a proper fleet around him and get Japan to back him officially, then…"

"Then we would have a true path to peace," Takao finished, finally seeing his plan.

It was simple, but still brilliant; if they could continue to build up Gunzou as an example of what their two people could be together, then others would start to rally to their cause. And not just humans, but other Mental Models would join them as they began to interact with humans more. It was an incredible long-shot, and if they lost the 401 then it would all be lost, but still it still gave them a chance. Looking back at Avalon, she again found that she had to reevaluate what she thought she knew. He was clearly more complicated than he had first appeared to be. And, unfortunately for him, that only served to stoke her curiosity further. _'That really is a troublesome human feature,'_ she thought with a huff.

* * *

Almost a full day passed in relative silence as Avalon guided them back into Japanese waters. Once they were past the Fog patrol lines, he turned south and began moving towards what had been their meeting point with the 401. Of course, they had no way of knowing if they were even still waiting for them at this point, but it was all they had to go on. That is, until Avalon picked up something new.

"Takao," he said, triggering the ship's intercom, "You might want to get up here. We've got trouble."

Looking up from where she'd been kneeling, she quickly dropped off the Exia's head before walking towards the command room. She'd been trying to get a better idea of this machine's optics, determined to work out its secrets even if it was one piece at a time.

"What is it?" she asked when she finally entered the room. Without a word, Avalon brought the E-sensor up as he checked the Container's weapon systems. Walking over, she saw that he'd picked up several new contacts outside the Fog's patrol lines. And they were big. "Oh," she said, realizing what she was looking at.

"You think we pissed her off?" Avalon asked mildly as he began trickle-charging the particle cannons.

"Wait, you don't think Kongou's leading this fleet personally, do you?" she asked, looking at him in shock.

"I'd be surprised if she wasn't," he replied as he brought the Container to a shallower depth, "How many Fog ships have sunk at our hands, Takao?"

"…Almost a dozen," she replied, already seeing where he was going.

"Exactly," he said, "Gunzou has caused more damage to the Fog than most other enemies in recent months. You can only suffer so many upstarts before you risk it spiraling out of control. I'd wager Kongou is here to stop that from happening."

"But if she's here, she'd have brought more than just a light escort," Takao reasoned as she took a closer look at the E-sensor's data.

It was frustrating that she only had the digested end of it that was on the screen instead of the raw data, but Avalon had been clear; she _would not_ network with his ship. However, at the moment she saw all that she needed to really know. Kongou had brought a rather impressive compliment of destroyers and other light ships to act as a screen, while they were also detecting several larger hulls. She could only guess who they were, and she only had a rough idea since they were on the edge of their sensor range, but it wasn't looking good. With each passing minute, another ship appeared on the plot as they drew closer.

Reaching over, Avalon activated his long-range communications. He hoped, desperately, that the 401 and its crew were far away from this cluster of death. Gunzou might have been something of a prodigy when it came to his tactics in a fight, but being clever only took you so far against such overwhelming odds. The sheer firepower on display here would be enough to turn the entire sub, and its crew, into atoms almost a dozen times over, and that was after considering the destroyers as expendable.

"Iona, Gunzou, if you're there, please tell me you're far away from what I'm looking at," he said finally as a connection was established.

"Unfortunately, I can't do that," Iona replied before requesting a link to his ship. Sighing, he flicked a switch to open the channel and watched as the E-sensor's plot was updated. It now showed Iona and two decoys loitering dangerously close to one of the clusters of enemy ships.

"Then at least tell me Gunzou has a plan," he said, leaning back as he contemplated what he was looking at.

"…Captain Gunzou isn't aboard right now," Iona said after a time, the tone in her voice causing Avalon to arch an eyebrow in confusion, "He and Hyuuga have gone off to procure something from her hull."

"So, you're in command?"

"I am."

"Then what is _your_ plan?" he asked, already trying to ignore the worst-possible situations his mind was dredging up.

"Right now, Kongou is holding her position with about half of her Mental Models deployed in two battle groups," Iona informed them, highlighting the smaller groups, "We're going to use the decoys to draw their attention away while we make a move on Kongou herself. If we can sink her, then the entire task force will be paralyzed."

"Only until a new flagship is determined," Takao added, leaning over the display as she looked at the screen worriedly, "You can't expect to beat them all."

"No," Iona conceded, "But it would buy us significant time to retreat without the risk of pursuit, which is more than we have now."

"So, what do you need from us?" Avalon asked, already preparing himself for a fight.

"You and Takao are approaching from the other side of their formation, correct?" Iona asked, just to verify their position, "If you could attack Kongou's guards and further divide their attention, it would give us a bigger opening against Kongou herself."

"I would need to deploy everything I have for that, Iona," Avalon replied, grimacing at the possible cost of this fight.

"…Yes, you would," Iona agreed, "I know you aren't formally a member of Blue Steel, and as such I have no right to make demands of you or your equipment. This is simply a req-"

"Save it, short stack," Avalon said, cutting her off as he put more power into the engines, "I'm in. I'm just not sure how my tail's going to react."

"You're being followed?"

"By one of your sisters, the 402," he said, "She hasn't made any moves against us, but she hasn't left us alone, either. I can't be sure that she won't side with Kongou if we engage."

"…If she's simply tailing you, it's highly likely that Yamato gave her orders to observe only," Iona said eventually, "She may use this battle as a way to gather data on your capabilities."

"In other words, she'll let us throw ourselves against Kongou because it'll be fun to watch," Takao surmised, huffing, "Man, am I glad I'm not a submarine's core."

"Alright, Iona, give us a projected timetable," Avalon said as he got up, "Then get ready for one hell of a distraction."

"Wait, you're leaving the ship?!" Takao asked as he started to leave the control room.

Giving her a small smile, he did something she would have never suspected; reaching out, he pulled the seat back before placing one hand on her shoulder and saying, "The Container is yours, Takao. Just try not to wreck it, okay?"

"You…you trust me with your ship?" she asked, now completely lost.

"I'm a Gundam pilot, not a ship captain," he told her as he turned to leave, "I can't think in terms of ship combat like you. Besides, two targets are a bit harder to hit than one."

"I…uh…" she said, looking at the command chair then back at him as he left the room. When the door was shut, she turned back to the controls with more than a little apprehension. He was willing to give her control of his ship, all just to give Iona a better chance to survive? She just couldn't get a read on him, no matter how much she wanted to. One minute, he was suspicious and cold towards her kind, and the next he was caring and willing to put everything on the line.

Smacking her cheeks to shake herself out of it, she muttered, "Get a grip, Takao. Gunzou needs you to do this." Sitting down, she pushed the chair forward before grabbing the controls. After taking a few moments to analyze them, she found that the controls for his ship weren't nearly as complex as a Fog ship. Soon, she was working them with an almost practiced ease.

Meanwhile, Avalon changed into his pilot's suit before grabbing his helmet and heading for the hanger. He was once again caught off-guard by that feeling, but like before he found that trusting it simply felt right. He couldn't explain why, but he just _knew_ that he could trust Takao with his Assault Container. After entering his Gundam and sealing the hatch, he directed Takao to activate the pumps as the bay was flooded. It took longer than he was comfortable with, but eventually the hatch opened and he slowly moved out into the open ocean. He and Takao quickly separated after, with her moving towards the front of Kongou's formation while he swung around to the rear.

Then it was simply a matter of waiting, and that was something Avalon had grown rather accustomed to. Sitting back, he watched on one of the side screens as Iona and the decoys moved into position. Then several small symbols appeared on the screen, indicating that torpedoes and missiles had been fired.

"Takao," he said as he began to accelerate.

"I know," she replied, already loading several GN missiles as she prepared to breach the surface. _'Well, this should be interesting,'_ she thought as it drew closer.

The two machines erupted from the water at the same time, with Takao launching her first wave in a large arch towards the three destroyers in front of Kongou. However, she hadn't expected to see a Heavy cruiser there as well. Granted, it was tethered to a supply ship, but it was still more than she had been expecting. Her missiles slammed into the smaller ship's Klein fields as their turrets swiveled to target her, and she quickly activated the GN field while opening the barrels of the particle cannons.

It wasn't nearly as gratifying as firing off a Graviton cannon, but the effect was still impressive as it punched through one of the destroyer's fields after several seconds. The damage to the ship was moderate, but it was still water-tight as the few remaining guns returned fire. The smaller rounds slammed into the field with no effect as she tried to swing the Container around and dive again. Two larger blasts scraped the ship's rear, pushing the field to extremes as several missiles chased after her.

She slammed into the water in the next second, quickly diving as fast as she could before glancing at the screen to track the missiles. However, the moment they entered the water after her, their paths became less defined. Playing on a hunch, she changed course only to watch them pass her by and slam into the sea floor. _'So, without direct line-of-sight, they can't target this ship with missiles,'_ she realized, looking at the screen for the GN field again. Avalon's ability to drop off the Fog's radar was truly impressive.

Meanwhile, Avalon was weaving through the air as he took pot shots with his rifle. He didn't really expect it to penetrate the destroyer's defenses, but he was serving to divide their attention as he watched Iona moving closer to Kongou's formation. But that was also when he saw the cruiser moving into position, putting itself between Kongou and the 401 just as Iona fired a spread of torpedoes. Grimacing, he could already imagine how this would play out as the destroyers tried to intercept the incoming fire. Most were destroyed, but several got through only to chew into the cruiser's hull. Skimming the waves, Avalon watched as the ship began to break up and sink.

' _Damn it,'_ he cursed as he raised his left arm and fired a spread of high-density missiles over the formation. Once they detonated, he dove under the water again before bringing himself to a halt. Punching the armrest, he then took a moment to calm himself down. Iona had gotten out of their in one relative piece, as had Takao. And after receiving an update via Takao, he learned that they'd sunk two heavy cruisers and at least three destroyers. However, now the ships were pulling into a single formation around Kongou. They wouldn't be making the same mistake again.

"They're learning quickly," he mused as he looked at the screen before grimacing again.

In any other world, at any other time, he'd have been more useful than he was right now. In spite of the power that his Gundam had, just one shot from one of those cruisers could destroy him. And that wasn't even taking the larger ships into account. The most he could hope to do was distract them, but even that would be a fleeting thing once they realized he could be ignored. The Exia just didn't have the firepower to pierce a Klein field, and that was quickly becoming a serious problem for him.

' _If only I had the Double 0,'_ he thought, clenching his left hand, _'I could_ do _something.'_

"So, I assume there's a plan B?" he asked, hoping he was right.

Before Iona could answer, the entire area began to shake. Gripping the controls, Avalon quickly silenced the alarms that had begun to blare as he realized this wasn't an attack. Since he was closer to the surface, he had more of an idea as to what was happening, and it by no means filled him with confidence. He'd detected something falling from orbit onto Kongou's position, and he could only guess that it meant she was getting serious.

"Anyone want to explain what the hell is happening?" he asked.

"Massive gravity waves emanating from Kongou's position," Takao reported, "It's completely blinded all sensors in the affected area. Even your ship is having trouble figuring out who's where."

"Kongou must be using her Flagship Equipment," Iona surmised, "So she's deadly serious about sinking me."

"Any ideas what it can do?"

"No. Only the flagships have access and know what it can do. If we can get a visual, Hyuuga might be able to tell us something."

Grimacing, Avalon offered the only solution he could. "Iona, can you make a faint on their lines?"

"Yes, but why?"

"So I can go to a higher altitude and get a good look at that gear," he replied, only to continue before she could protest, "My machine is smaller than your ship, and far more maneuverable. It'll be harder for them to shoot me down."

"…Understood," she said after several minutes. She was undoubtedly discussing his rather insane idea with her crew, but it wasn't like they had many options. "We will provide fire support and draw their attention on your cue."

Gripping his controls, Avalon took a moment to steady his breathing. This was going to be a risky maneuver, even for him. He would only have time for a quick fly-by, and anything less than the Gundam's top speed would leave him open to counter-attack. He hadn't told Iona this, but he intended to do more than just observe Kongou's equipment. If he had the opening, he would fire his entire payload of missiles and try to damage it. Based on what little he knew of Mental Models and their cores, this kind of output was likely requiring a considerable amount of Kongou's processing power. That could mean that her Klein field was weaker, or possibly nonexistent. And if that was the case, then he could at least cripple whatever she was attempting to do.

Opening his eyes, he finally said, "Exia, moving out!"

Erupting from the water, he climbed as high as he could while dodging several rounds. The Fog had deployed several of their ships in small parties, patrolling the waters near Kongou in an attempt to locate and sink them. Thankfully, he hadn't emerged in the middle of one, but he was still being tracked by one of their cruisers. Seeing the missiles homing in on him, Avalon quickly switched the rifle to assault mode before blasting the closest ones with a storm of particle beams.

He then turned and accelerated towards Kongou's position, and it was at that point that he saw the byproduct of all of those gravity waves.

She'd turned the area she was in into a massive waterspout, stretching from the surface of the water all the way up to the clouds that were undoubtedly forming because of said water. Witnessing such a display of power reminded him of the Battle at Lagrange 2, where he'd finally seen the full extent of the Innovade's power firsthand. He didn't get a whole lot of time to take in the sights, however, as Takao suddenly called out.

"Avalon, below you!" she shouted, causing him to look back.

The cruiser he'd previously blown past had deployed what looked like two massive cannons, and he could already see them charging to fire. _'A Graviton cannon?!'_ he realized as he panicked. Reaching forward, he punched several of the keys on the console in front of him before bracing himself.

Meanwhile, Myoukou watched with a rather satisfied grin as her cannons charged. That small machine, whatever it was, couldn't possible survive a direct hit from her. And in spite of its attempts to throw her aim off, it didn't have a prayer as her first cannon reached a full charge.

"Now, die!" she commanded as it unleashed a massive wave of energy. She was so sure that she'd get it that when the machine suddenly began to glow and somehow dodged the shot, she was completely stunned. _'How…How can it be that fast?'_ she wondered, even as she began tracking it with her second gun.

Dodging the first shot had been a complete fluke, and Avalon knew it. The ship had apparently decided not to deploy a gravity field to trap him, but he knew it wouldn't make that mistake again. Ducking and weaving, he poured all of his Trans-Am power into the emitters as he closed on the waterspout. Just as he crashed into the water and passed through it, he felt that sense kick in again as he suddenly dove. The water above him rippled apart as that ship attempted to lock him down and destroy him, and he watched as the second shot flew past with meters to spare.

Then he was through the spout, and what he saw was completely unexpected. Kongou had several gate-looking structures lined up on either side of her, and as he watched he saw that three of those structures had half-completed Fog ships in them. _'So, it's not a weapon,'_ he thought as he brought his left arm up. Flicking another switch, he emptied the missile cells just as Kongou's rear guns swiveled to target him. He saw the incoming fire just in time to dodge the first two salvos, although he didn't have a whole lot of time. The Trans-Am was already past its half-way mark, and he'd need the speed to escape.

But just as he turned to withdraw, several rounds whizzed past a little too close for comfort. Bringing the shield up, he grit his teeth as one round deflected off the E-Carbon only to have the entire machine shake as another hit and detonated. The explosion threw him into the water, and he spun with the momentum before accelerating out of the spout. Glancing to the side, he saw that the shield was mostly intact but had warped considerable from the shell. He was damned lucky it had been a solid round instead of an energy blast, but like a lot of things he realized that the Fog wouldn't make that mistake again.

Down on her deck, Kongou watched as that strange machine managed to escape. Grimacing, she turned her attention to the damage he'd wrought. Three of the gates on the aft starboard fabricator had been damaged and rendered inoperative because of his missiles, which had traveled far faster than she would have thought considering their size. _'It had to be because of that glow,'_ she thought as she began repairing the damage.

Now that she saw it, and what was undoubtedly its support ship, in action she had no doubts that it was responsible for those 'ghost' rumors that had been circulating amongst the fleet. Of course, that still left her wondering one thing; was that another Mental Model that had joined with Gunzou, or was it a human? She was inclined to believe that it was in fact a Mental Model, since she couldn't see humans achieving this kind of technology on their own.

*Ise,* she broadcast, *I'm going to transport your core here. It's time we end this here and now.*

* * *

Dodging several more shots, Avalon cursed as he was forced higher into the air. He'd hoped that he would be able to dive back down and disappear again, but Kongou's other battleship had clearly had other ideas. It had moved into position right where he'd have to exit the waterspout, and she was filling the sky with anti-air fire. Looking at the Trans-Am counter, he saw that he only had seconds left before it ran out and he'd be screwed. Configuring the rifle to sniper mode, he began sending particle beams at the ship in a desperate attempt to take out some of her guns. If he could just punch a hole, he could escape with what little he had left.

But her Klein field held strong, shrugging off his shots as she continued to rain fire on him. Hiei might not be able to hit him, but she could keep him contained and in sight until her two destroyers moved into position. Once she had him thoroughly pinned down, she'd launch a wave of missiles to blow him out of the sky. As much as she might like to take that machine and study it, its stance against her flagship couldn't be allowed. At least, that's what she believed, until something emerged from the water next to her.

Back in the sky, Avalon saw something small appear next to the ship about where the Mental Model was standing. Zooming in, he saw that it was Hyuuga's egg, and before he could even begin to wonder how she was here she opened an audio-only channel with him.

"Trust me," she said simply before cutting the connection.

Of course, he didn't have a whole lot of choices as the Trans-Am finally ran out. Bringing his shield up, he deflected several rounds as he tried to avoid getting hit. At the same time, he received a text file from Iona, which should have told him just how bad things were if she couldn't talk with him directly. The message was short, and it basically told him that she was nearly crippled because of two of Kongou's cruisers. At the same time, Takao was dueling with the third on the other side of the formation, using hit-and-run tactics to harass it and keep it from coming after him. Finally, he read that Gunzou had arrived and was attempting to link up with the 401's support ships.

' _That would give us two Graviton cannons to work with,'_ he realized, finally feeling some hope. This battle might not have been going very long, but he could already tell that they were going to lose without some serious firepower. As if to illustrate his point, he detected a large explosion below him. Moving the shield aside, he saw that Hyuuga had blasted the battleship's Mental Model with a partially reconstructed turret. At the same time, the ship had fired at her own Mental Model, sending them both to the bottom as the battleship began to break apart and sink.

"Hyuuga!" he called out, already accelerating towards the water's surface. He might not have been a big fan of the techno-freak, but she was still an ally.

Slamming into the water, he quickly tracked down her sinking core before putting his left hand under it. Surfacing slowly was something of a chore with all of the debris around him, but once he breached the surface again, he opened the hatch before angling the hand and dropping the core inside. Picking it up off his lap, he briefly admired how small it actually was as the hatch closed and sealed again. Setting it aside, he dove down once again as he sought to hook up with Iona and Gunzou again.

As such, he didn't see the small tendrils of nano-material that Hyuuga had saved get worked into the metal around her. Soon enough, she had enough access to talk with him directly.

*Well, that was a brave thing to do,* she commented, making him jump a little, *Sorry, but I thought this would be better than just sitting silently.*

"As long as you don't mess with my controls," he muttered.

*I wouldn't dream of it,* she assured him, only to get a snort in response.

Looking at the tactical plot again, he saw that the area had calmed down after that last exchange. With the loss of one of their battleships, Kongou's defenders were reforming around her again. Of course, now they were stretched a bit thinner than normal.

*Don't get too comfortable,* Hyuuga told him, getting his attention again, *I've seen the images you captured of that equipment. Kongou is going to use it to call in the rest of her fleet.*

"She can do that?"

*In a way,* she replied, *The longer this takes, the more firepower she's going to bring in. We have to end this, quickly.*

"Agre-Aahh!" he cried, suddenly clutching his head as it felt like it was going to split in two.

*What is it?* Hyuuga asked, worried that he might have injured himself.

Without a word, he looked up as he felt that feeling kick in again. It was compelling him to the surface, and he obliged as he erupted from the water before turning to look east.

*What is…oh,* Hyuuga said, finally paying attention to his Gundam's sensors.

A new force of ships had appeared on the horizon, and they were closing quickly on their position. Before she could tell him to turn and run, and before Avalon could even begin to call out to the others, something else erupted from the water. He had just enough time to register a beam sword before he drew one of his own and stopped the blade just short of his chest. The force of the impact still forced him back, but he was able to hold the other machine off. And that was when he noticed its design, and it made his blood go cold.

"Heya, brat!" the machine broadcast in a familiar voice, "Didja miss me?!"

His eyes widened in shock as he recognized the voice. But, it made no sense to him.

"How?" he demanded, "How can you be here?! Tell me!"

"What are you doing here, Allelujah?!"

* * *

 **Caught unprepared, Avalon now faces a superior Gundam in combat. Meanwhile, Kongou and the Blue Steel find themselves besieged by a new force of Fog ships.**

 **Next Chapter; The Black Fleet**

 **When your enemy is a friend, what will you do?**

A/N; For anyone worried about the pacing, let me just say that once you boil down the manga and focus on one particular string things happen pretty quickly. Yes, I am practically discarding what's going on with Haruna up north, but there is a point to that.


	6. Chapter 6

**The Black Fleet**

Pushing the Arios back, Avalon tried to get his reeling mind under control. How could Allelujah be here? More importantly, why was he fighting against him? He didn't get the chance to really consider these questions as the Arios pursued him. It swung its beam sword with wild abandon, slamming it into Avalon's own sword with incredible force with each strike and shaking the entire Mobile Suit because of it.

"Damnit, Allelujah!" Avalon shouted, trying to gain at least some distance, "What the hell are you doing?!"

"What I've always done!" he replied, "And stop using that name!"

Moving back slightly, he shifted the Arios into its flight mode before rocketing away. Swapping the rifle to assault mode, Avalon did his best to track him as he zipped across the sky. But it was ultimately impossible, since the Arios was built to excel in fast-paced combat. Avalon had just enough time to realize that he'd circled behind him to turn and block another swipe. Any attempt to counter was lost as the Arios kept flying past him, transforming back while Allelujah cackled.

"What's wrong, can't hit me?" he asked, sounding amused.

"Allelujah, what the hell are you playing at?!" Avalon demanded, "We're comrades! Stop this!"

"Comrades? Ha!" he laughed before coming to a stop a fair distance away, "How about I show you just how little that means to me?"

At his unseen signal, the water below them erupted as several new contacts entered the area. Looking down, Avalon had just enough time to bring his shield up as what were unmistakably Mobile Suits moved to attack him. They had assumed the appearance of the GN-X 3, a Mobile Suit design he was all too familiar with. They were equipped with their customary lance, and they quickly opened fire on him as they spread out to envelope him. Bringing his rifle up and returning fire, he briefly wondered why the Fog ships nearby weren't taking advantage of this to try and shoot him down.

He soon became too focused on the battle at hand to care, dodging and weaving as the six Mobile Suits maneuvered around him. Deflecting several shots with his shield, he quickly returned fire and blew one of them out of the sky. He was then jostled as one machine scored a glancing hit on his left leg, damaging the emitter but doing little real structural damage. Whipping around, he reengaged the beam sword in his left hand as he charged the offending machine. Rather than meeting him in melee combat, the machine dodged his swipe and fell back while two of its comrades moved to either side of him. Avalon had just enough time to realize his mistake as they blasted his machine, taking half of the right shoulder guard as well as damaging the left hip of the Exia.

"Damnit!" he cursed, quickly accelerating away as he tried to come up with a better plan.

"You really think I'd have my guys fight you hand-to-hand?" Allelujah asked before laughing, "I know your tricks, brat! I'm not about to fight this battle on _your_ terms!"

"Bastard…" Avalon muttered before dodging another burst of particle blasts.

*Avalon, we can't win like this!* Hyuuga told him, grateful she'd effectively tied her core down, *We need to fall back!*

"I'm trying!" he replied, only to barely dodge a missile that had been flying for his face.

Looking at where it had come from, he saw that Kongou had emerged from the water spout as it began to dissipate. He also saw that there was a second battleship with her, and that they were turning to engage him. At least, that had appeared to be the plan at first, but that was before two Graviton shots blasted through her formation and sank two of her destroyers and clipped one of her remaining cruisers.

Looking back along the path the shots had taken, he saw that it was the new arrivals that had fired. He also saw a swarm of missiles streaking across the water to strike at Kongou's forces, and that they weren't trailing smoke.

*Avalon, are those…?*

"GN particles," he muttered, watching as the GN missiles impacted against various Klein fields.

They had been a mixed batch, and several of them erupted in large Corrosive fields as they sought to destroy their targets. Kongou's task force wasn't slow on the uptake, thankfully, and they began returning fire with everything they had. But the attackers didn't seem to mind as they continued barely down on Kongou's fleet, coming into what was effectively point-blank range for warships.

He could only assume these ships had been augmented by Allelujah, and that alone scared him. If he was already building up a fleet of his own, then he was clearly in a better position that al-Saachez had been before. He was brought back to the here and now violently as one of the Mobile Suits tried to run him through with its lance. Shifting to the side, he brought his beam sword back and cut the machine in half at the chest. Bringing his shield up, he backed away as the machine exploded before he was forced to engage the four remaining Mobile Suits.

"I hope you're not forgetting someone!"

Turning quickly, he just managed to duck under Allelujah's attempt on the Exia's head. Flipping over, he pushed Avalon back steadily as he drew his second beam sword while the GN-Xs formed a perimeter around them. Holstering his rifle, Avalon quickly drew one of his GN blades before pushing the Arios back. His mind was still swimming in a million questions, but he took a breath and forced them to the back of his mind. Bringing the Exia's arms up, he took one of the stances he'd been taught as he prepared for Allelujah's next attack.

"Alright, now we're talking!" he shouted, recognizing the stance, "Let's have some fun!"

Meanwhile, Kongou and Ise were rallying the remnants of their task force together as this new fleet finally called off its suicidal charge. But instead of withdrawing, it turned and began circling their formation while continuing to trade fire. Grimacing, Kongou locked onto one of the destroyers before blasting it with her main guns. The Klein field, however, held against her barrage, and that shouldn't have been possible for a smaller ship.

As if to prove her point, one of her own destroyers was blown in half by an enemy cruiser. Gritting her teeth, she sent a silent command as her deck began to open. Her Graviton cannon deployed shortly after that, and she quickly set her sights on the nearest cruiser.

*Kongou, we can't keep this up!* Hiei shouted as she struggled to hold off a triplet of Corrosive missiles.

Taking a moment to look at the tactical plot, she saw that her forces were falling quickly. Their escorts were almost completely gone, and the larger ships were running low on munitions while their Klein fields were beginning to reach maximum saturation. This fleet, wherever it had come from, couldn't have picked a better time for this. While she and Ise were relatively fresh, the other ships had all been battered to varying degrees by the 401 and its allies. They were in no shape for a sustained fleet battle with a new force, and that left them with only one real choice.

' _Forgive me for this failure, Supreme Flagship,'_ she thought before ordering, *All ships, form up and head northeast out of the combat zone. Ise and I will cover our retreat. Don't stop for any reason, understood?*

The response was somewhat slow to come in as the other Mental Models processed her orders. Finally, they replied with varying degrees of, *Yes, ma'am.*

Maneuvering themselves so they would bracket the intended escape path, Kongou and Ise then unloaded waves of missiles into the enemy fleet as it began changing course to stop them. The cruisers and remaining destroyers continued on between the two battleships, using their superior fields as cover as they slowly withdrew. Turning her attention to her first target, Kongou let a Graviton shot loose and smirked slightly as it slammed into the cruiser's Klein field. For a moment, it struggled to hold the blast at bay before collapsing completely. Her attack then proceeded to tear into the ship's central structure, ripping through the nano-material before breaching the engine room. At that point the ship blossomed into a massive explosion as the engine cells detonated, triggering the Klein fields of the nearby ships at the shear force being released.

And yet, she couldn't find any enjoyment in sinking a sister ship, even though they'd attacked first. _'This isn't right,'_ she thought even as she continued to cover her fleet.

Watching the unfolding battle, Takao experienced a rare moment of restraint. As much as she wanted to dive back into the fight, she knew that doing so would get her killed. Avalon's ship, for all of its advances, was still vulnerable to the Fog. Not to mention the fact that she'd used almost all of the remaining missiles, and the fact that one of the side screens was flashing a warning to her. Something about the particle storage getting low, or something.

Instead, she remained below the water as she tried to circle around the battle and link up with Gunzou. This battle was clearly spiraling out of control, and staying would only increase their odds of getting destroyed. At the same time, the arrival of this new fleet had completely routed Kongou's forces. They could use that to escape, provided they didn't draw this other fleet's attention. Guiding the Container deeper, she eventually made contact with Iona.

"401, can you move?" she asked, hoping the answer would be yes.

"I can, but only at about 20% of my normal speed," Iona replied, "Nachi managed to damage my engines, so if I do begin to move they will likely detect us."

"I think Kongou has bigger problems now than just you and the Captain," Takao commented as she drew closer, "Divert your processor to maintaining your hull and engines. I'll use this ship's sensors to keep an eye on things. We need to leave before that new fleet drives Kongou off completely."

"Agreed," Iona replied, her ship already lifting from the bottom and starting to move westward, "Captain Gunzou has already set a rally point for us. Will Avalon be able to disengage?"

For a moment, Takao hesitated. She hadn't even thought about that, and after taking a second look at the E-sensor she saw that it wouldn't' be easy for him. His signal was getting harassed by five others, one of which was moving incredibly quickly as it kept making passes on him. After a few moments, she thought of something and enlarged the plot to include the battling fleets. And when she saw the plan this enemy clearly had, she realized that disengaging was the least of his worries.

The new fleet was effectively barreling down on his position as it drove Kongou's battered ships away. And once they were beneath him, she had no doubt that they'd turn at least some of their firepower skyward in order to destroy him.

"No, he won't," she finally said as she began to turn around.

"Takao, don't," Iona said somewhat firmly, stopping her, "You don't have the power."

"I still have four Corrosive missiles and these energy guns!" she replied hotly, "I have plenty of firepower!"

"I mean _actual_ power," Iona clarified, "That ship doesn't have a dedicated reactor, just storage tanks that draw power from Avalon's machine. Without it, you only have so much power before things begin to shut down."

Her eyes widened at that, and she glanced at the screen that had been warning her of just that for a while now. With all of her maneuvers, firing and use of the GN field, she'd depleted almost three quarters of the reserve tanks. Even if the missiles didn't require that much power to fire, she would be severely limited in what she did if she chose to engage again.

Slamming her hand into the console, she shouted, "Damnit!" as she realized what she'd done. ' _Again,'_ she thought as she continued to follow Iona out of the area, _'I've crippled myself, again.'_

* * *

Deflecting another blast, Avalon tried to back away from the three GN-Xs in his face only for the fourth to appear behind him with its lance held ready. He was just able to twist out of the way of its shot before turning and bringing his GN blade down into the lance. The super-heated edge cut clean through the metal in seconds, destroying the weapon and leaving the machine with only its own beam sword. Said sword was drawn a moment later before it attempted to take one of the Exia's arms. Shifting the battered shield into the way, Avalon grimaced as the entire frame rattled from the impact.

With a shout, he shifted the arm again and threw the machine to the side before accelerating away as two of the GN-Xs opened fire. Their comrade was caught in the storm of particle beams and subsequently destroyed, but Avalon suspected that didn't mean much to Allelujah. Speaking of which…

Looking up, Avalon noticed that the Arios hadn't moved from its spot overlooking the battle. He seemed satisfied that his pawns would keep Avalon tied up for a long time while he directed the larger engagement. Before Avalon could even think of directing some fire his way, one of the GN-Xs drew its own beam sword before slamming into his guard. Of course, things couldn't be that easy for him. As he struggled to push the other machine away, he watched as his beam sword began to flicker slightly. _'Oh, crap,'_ he thought as he tried to disengage without luck. Finally, the beam cut out completely as the sword ran out of stored power, leaving the GN-X to bring its sword towards the Exia's chest.

Thankfully, Avalon was able to put enough distance between him and that machine that it was a glancing blow. Still, it managed to leave a nice scar down the left side of the Exia's chest, irritating Avalon further even as he tried to dodge another barrage of particle beams. This battle was taking far too long, and he was taking too much damage. His reaction time was already hampered by the damage to one of his legs, and the loss of armor had subtly shifted the machine's weight. Such a thing wouldn't seem to be a problem, but after spending so much time piloting this one Gundam Avalon found himself very sensitive to such changes.

The only thing that was keeping him from faltering too badly was his new sense. It was the only way he could describe it. It continued to warn him about attacks coming outside of his field of vision, and he was sure that a couple of them would have killed him outright had he not felt them coming. Still, that left him with very few options. Blocking another shot, he chanced a look at Kongou's forces.

She'd succeeded in getting the rest of her ships out of the combat zone, although now it was just a matter of getting herself and the other battleship away. Allelujah's fleet wasn't about to let that happen, however, as the ships moved to surround the two ships and box them in.

*Avalon…* Hyuuga muttered, watching the same events unfold through the Exia's sensors.

"I know," he replied as he turned his attention back to his own fight. If this kept up, then Allelujah could very well cripple the entire Second Oriental fleet.

Of course, that was before the water around the two attack groups suddenly parted. From where he was watching the battle, Allelujah tracked the trenches back to their source and saw two ships preparing Graviton shots. The first was that sub that had become a thorn in the side of the Fog. But the second was far more interesting. It was actually three ships working together, with the two to either side of the central ship opening up to reveal what he recognized as the mechanisms required to produce a Graviton shot.

' _So, that middle ship is simply directing the two others,'_ he reasoned as he drew his rifle. At a silent command, the metal along his Gundam's arm flowed down the gun before extending the barrel outward. At the same time, a large compression chamber extended from the bottom of this new weapon. Once it was done, the Arios' right arm had been changed into a large particle cannon, and the compression chamber began to spin as it charged up to fire.

Feeling a tugging, Avalon glanced upward only to see Allelujah's new weapon. It only took him a moment to figure out what was going on, and when he did he pushed everything he had into the emitters as he rocketed upwards. Docking the depleted beam sword, Avalon brought his GN blade up as he prepared to destroy that weapon. However, because of use of the Trans-Am prior, he was still left with relatively little spare power to work with as the drive struggled to replenish its reserves. As such, he wasn't able to close the distance fast enough before Allelujah took his shot.

The beam wasn't especially large, but even with a passive glance Avalon could tell that it was highly condensed. _'A sniper's shot,'_ he realized as he slashed through the barrel mid-shot. Once the compressed energy didn't have a focused path, the weapon detonated as it sought new paths of escape. Avalon grimaced as the Exia was thrown back by the explosion, but as he turned to track the shot he saw that he hadn't stopped it in time.

As Gunzou was reaching peak charge for his shot, the particle beam collided with the support ship to his left. He only had enough time to register the strike and activate the Klein field before the ship was ripped apart. The particle beam had pierced the frail outer hull before ripping two of the focusing discs in two. Without them maintaining the field, the gravitons ran wild and tore the ship apart on the molecular level. The ensuing explosion caused Gunzou to cling to his seat for dear life as his ship and the other support craft were sent tumbling by the raw power. And without the other ship creating its half of the stabilizing field, the remaining vessel was in very real danger of following it as the stored energy became unstable. Tapping in a few commands, he instructed the ship to fire what it had at the sea floor, letting loose something that couldn't even be called an average Graviton blast.

After what seemed like forever, the blast subsided and he was able to sit upright again. A quick check showed that the Klein field had neared max saturation from the proximity of the explosion. Thankfully, the ship's hull was still intact, although there were several warnings of severe stress along the port side of the ship. Gritting his teeth, he realized that not only has his only long-range weapon been disabled, but the Matsushima was now in no shape for a battle. _'Such a precise shot at that kind of range,'_ he thought as he began to withdraw, _'Whatever else is out there isn't to be trifled with.'_

However, even though he was knocked out of the fight, Iona was still in it as she took her shot and tore the bottom off of one of Allelujah's cruisers. The Klein field tried to stop the blast for several seconds, but it finally submitted under the incredible force. After that, the ammunition still aboard the ship detonated from the extreme heat and ripped the ship apart. That left Allelujah with only two cruisers and several destroyers, but considering his momentum in the battle it would likely be enough to win.

Watching the explosion from afar, Avalon clenched his hands on the control sticks in frustration. That blast could have easily killed Gunzou, and with all of the disruption and jamming going on he had no way of knowing. Any further musings were cut short when the Arios took a swipe at him. He sensed the attack in time to dodge it, but he wasn't able to gain any real distance before the other Gundam was on him again. Bringing his GN blade up, Avalon stopped the beam sword briefly before the Arios delivered a viscous kick to his midsection. The restraints kept him from bouncing around inside the cockpit, but it still freaking hurt as the Exia was sent hurtling back.

"You still think you can save them?!" Allelujah demanded as he drew his other beam sword and charged again. Drawing his other GN blade, Avalon bought them up and just managed to stop the two swords again. "You already know you're going to fail, because it's what you do!" he continued as he slowly forced the Exia back.

"Shut up!" Avalon replied, even as he tried to keep up with the Arios' speed.

"You failed at Quanqiu!" Allelujah continued, ignoring him, "You failed at Lagrange Two, and you failed at the Africa Tower!" Slamming his two beam swords into one of Avalon's blades, he said, "You really think you can stop this now? You really think you can stop _us_ now?! Don't make me laugh!"

With that last bit, he increased the output of the beam swords and cut through Avalon's GN blade. He managed to avoid losing a leg from the ensuing attack, but now Avalon was reduced to one reliable sword. Tossing the destroyed weapon aside, Avalon drew his rifle before unleashing a torrent of particle beams at the Arios. However, Allelujah had expected this and transformed back into flight mode before rocketing away. This left him facing off with the two remaining GN-Xs, and as he turned his gun on them he realized that it was running dry. His increasing demands were starting to push the Exia and its GN drive to their limits, and now he was paying the price as the rifle struggled to build up a proper charge again.

*We can't win a battle of attrition, Avalon,* Hyuuga advised, already running numbers, *We have another few minutes before you don't have the power to maintain flight. After that…*

He didn't need her to elaborate on that point, because he had a pretty good idea what Allelujah would do then. And he would rather end it himself than accept such a fate. That was the point when he noticed that Kongou was actually starting to retreat. The other battleship had retreated before then, and he had to guess it was under Kongou's direct orders to minimize their overall losses. However, that left her taking the combined firepower of the remaining ships, and he was willing to bet that her field was starting to reach its limits.

"…It's time to take a calculated risk," he stated suddenly before dropping down to the water again.

The two GN-Xs followed, sending particle beams streaking after him. He ignored their pursuit as he sheathed his remaining sword before he got closer to Kongou's hull. He guessed that she would have registered his approach a long time ago, but he kept on his course as he turned around and shifted the rifle back to sniper mode. It had stored enough power for several shots by that point, and he used that as he took two potshots to force the Mobile suits to break off for a moment.

Activating an open channel, he prayed she was in a mood to listen to reason. "I get we're not on the same side," he said, "And I get that you probably don't feel very forgiving of me after how this fight started. But if we don't work together, we might not make it out of this."

"…Why should I listen to you?" she asked as one of her turrets tracked towards him, "I could just use this to eliminate you and your threat now."

"Considering what I know about this enemy, killing me wouldn't be a wise move," he replied, smirking as he saw her hold fire, "If you're not feeling forgiving, how about an old-fashioned trade?"

"…Your terms?"

"We help each other out of this, and…" he began before taking a deep breath to steady himself. He would have to offer something tangible to get her to accept, and he only had one or two things that would actually work. "And I'll share with you my GN technology."

*Avalon, you can't be serious!* Hyuuga shouted, completely astounded. If the Fog got their hands on something like that, their power would only increase.

"It's our only choice," he told her before turning his attention back to the com link, "So, Kongou, do we have a deal?"

As he asked that question, the two GN-Xs returned to take another crack at him with their lances. Bringing his shield up, he flinched with each hit as the already abused metal took more damage. After several long seconds, he heard new guns roar in fury and watched the two Mobile suits erupt in flames. Turning around, he saw that Kongou had shot them down before returning her attention to defending herself. However, he also noted that she was also shooting down missiles that would have hit him. Taking that as his answer, the turned back around and began shooting down what missiles he could. He might not be able to contribute much, but he could at least take some strain off of Kongou as the two of them continued out of the area.

* * *

Watching as the battle neared its conclusion, Takao tried to resist the urge to shift around in her seat nervously. She and Iona had managed to make it far enough away that any attempts at pursuit would be wasted. At the same time, Gunzou had managed to guide the remaining support ship out of the combat zone and towards their designated rally point. Now, it was just a question of whether Avalon would make it out of the fight intact.

He'd managed to hook up with Kongou, and she'd somehow decided not to shoot him down and was instead actually aiding him as they began to move away. The other fleet seemed rather reluctant to continue its pursuit after losing another of its cruisers. Even now, it was starting to close ranks around that other humanoid machine, although why it was so important she could only guess.

After several grueling minutes, Kongou had moved relatively far away from the opposing fleet. However, rather than letting her get away clean they continued to fire waves of missiles towards the battleship. While Takao couldn't detect them specifically, she had no doubt that there were many Corrosive warheads mixed in with those salvos. She was proven right as Corrosive fields began blossoming as they were intercepted. She even saw several particle beams taking down those that got too close, showing that Avalon was still active.

She couldn't help but smirk at that. _'Of course he'd survive,'_ she thought as the two moved further away. She might not have known him long, but she'd developed a certain level of respect for the strange human. Sure, some of that was from her curiosity over his origins and technology, but it was also for the man himself. He'd rescued her in spite of the dangers that presented to him, and he'd even stood up for her when they met with the Supreme Flagship. He'd shown conviction on a level she'd only ever seen in Gunzou before, and she found that she admired that. In spite of how frail he was, he had stood in challenge against the Fog.

She was pulled from this musing when new contacts appeared on the E-sensor. By this point, they'd moved far enough away that visuals were no longer possible. However, she had yet to pass below the horizon compared to them, and because of that she was able to keep at least one eye on the battle.

Several new symbols appeared on the screen, their icons marking them as missiles. However, they'd appeared off to the side of Kongou rather than from behind her, and remarkably close, too. _'Meaning they were launched underwater and sent that far to conceal them,'_ she reasoned. The new flight of missiles spread out, using Kongou's focus on the visible attacks to slip well inside of her maximum range. They then spread out in a fan, aiming to hit her all along her side to maximize their damage. At the same time, the initial attacks only increased in ferocity, pushing her point defense to the limit as her Klein field was forced to take more and more hits.

She directed two turrets towards the new attack, sending beams of destruction out and destroying a fair number of them. However, three of them suddenly accelerated as previously hidden engines ignited, and Takao had no doubts that they were Corrosive warheads. That was when Avalon stepped in.

Moving between Kongou and the oncoming fire, he quickly aimed and blasted the one heading for the front of her ship. It exploded in a massive Corrosive field as his particle beam ignited the payload, and before it had even finished its explosion he was turning his attention to the second. It had been heading for the rear of her ship, likely looking to destroy her engines. That one was intercepted as well, which only left the third.

Turning to it, Avalon felt time slow down as he saw it alter course and head towards him. The time he'd spent destroying the other two had let this one get much closer, and as he brought the rifle up to shoot it he already felt the beginnings of panic setting in. Bringing his gun up, he set his sights over the center of the missiles as it drew ever closer.

*Avalon!* Hyuuga shouted, already fearing the worst.

"Not yet!" he exclaimed as he pulled the trigger.

Watching from aboard the Container, Takao saw what she'd come to recognize as the signal for a Corrosive detonation blossom as Avalon shot the first two down. But she also saw how close the third was getting, and she couldn't help but tense up.

"Come on, shoot it!" she commanded, grabbing the screen as she tried to will him into action.

Sure enough, the third projectile was shot down, and she sighed in relief as she saw the field expand. Then she watched as the Exia's transponder flickered before cutting out completely, and it stopped her cold. Leaning closer to the screen, she tapped a few of the controls to run a search. But after several seconds of processing, the ship's computer gave her negative results. Kongou had paused for several moments, but she'd resumed her retreat shortly after that at her best speed. The other fleet, meanwhile, had seemed to have had enough as it turned and began withdrawing from the area as well.

And still the Exia was nowhere to be found.

"…No," she said simply as she turned around and activated the communications, "Avalon, if you're out there, respond."

.

.

.

Silence.

"Avalon, I'm not kidding," she continued.

"…Takao," Iona said softly.

"No, I refuse to believe that," Takao replied instantly and forcefully, "Avalon, if you're out there, respond, damnit! This isn't funny anymore! I don't care if Kongou herself is listening to this conversation, say something!"

.

.

.

"Answer me!"

.

.

.

And yet, there was still nothing; no response over the radio, or return of his signal on the E-sensor. If his machine had had real stealth capabilities, like invisibility, then it would have made sense. But it didn't, because if it had then he'd have used it long before now to withdraw from the fight safely. Using the Corrosive field as a cover to escape was also possible, but it wouldn't explain why his transponder was gone. The only explanation was…

"…No," she muttered, leaning over the console as she felt something tearing at her chest. Her emotional simulations were starting to spit things out she didn't understand, while her more logical processes where telling her things she didn't want to accept. "…He can't," she continued, "He can't be…he can't be…dead…"

* * *

 **Battered and beaten, the Blue Steel limps back to Yokosuka in order to try and recover from their battle. Meanwhile, Kongou consolidates the remnants of her task force as she tries to come to terms with what had just occurred. What neither side knows, however, is that their new foe has only just begun.**

 **Next Chapter; End of an Era**

 **It is the unavoidable truth that all things come to an end**


	7. Chapter 7

**End of an Era**

Once they'd finally regrouped, Gunzou had them set a course for Yokosuka. Although, it wasn't like they had a whole lot of choices at the moment. Their old base had been used up days ago, so it was out of the question. But after the damage they had taken, they would need someplace relatively safe to lay up and make repairs. With any luck, the nano-material from Iona's decoy was still there. However, that hope didn't make their current situation any easier to deal with.

Iona, even after sacrificing what equipment she could, was still only running at about 30% of her usual speed. Not only that, but she also had to mind two new Mental Models on top of keeping her ship intact. Haguro and Ashigara might have saved Iori, but that didn't change the fact that they'd been enemies a short while ago. As for Iori, she was still unconscious from the gas she'd been exposed to because of the damage to the 401's engines. While her life didn't appear to be in immediate danger, none of them could really be sure. Shizuka had done what she could with her limited medical training, but even she had to admit that their best option was getting her to a proper hospital.

And then there was the rest of their… 'fleet.' The ammunition aboard the Matsushima might have still been secure, but the ship itself was still recovering from the battle as the automatic systems repaired the damage. It had also been slowly bleeding the energy from its Klein field away, but the process was hampered by their need to stay on the move. As for the support ships… the one remaining vessel was trailing them at its best speed as a silent reminder.

Finally, there was Takao and Avalon's Assault Container. After shutting down all non-essential systems, she'd managed to conserve enough power to make it to the port. However, the ship would be rather useless after that, which would limit their options even further. They would need to rig up some kind of auxiliary power supply to keep its critical systems running, which would just add to their workload. Takao, on the other hand, was a different story entirely. She had hardly spoken since the end of the battle, only responding to changes in their course. Even Kyouhei, who was still somewhat suspicious of her, was starting to grow worried over her continued silence.

It wasn't like any of them could blame her, however. She was one of the first Mental Models to embrace human behavior so openly. However, she'd likely only ever experienced the good parts up till now, and maybe some of the annoying parts. But the bad was a different story entirely, and she was clearly struggling to come to grips with losing a comrade. She might not have seemed to like him, but the fact remained that Avalon had been their ally and friend. Losing him was a blow to everyone, and even Iona felt more than a little pain when she remembered Takao's terse report.

Leaning back in his chair, Gunzou tried to figure out just what they could do now. The Vibration warhead and its data were safe, at least for the moment. The Hakugei had proven itself difficult to detect, even with the Fog, so it was unlikely this new fleet would stumble across it by accident. However, that still left them with the problem this fleet represented. Clearly, they weren't aligned with the Fog, which begged the question; just who were they loyal to? _'And why did they choose Japan?'_ Gunzou wondered, quickly losing himself in thought.

Considering the direction they'd come from when they entered the battle, there was a high probability that they'd come up from the south. So they were either from one of the southern fleets, or completely new in general. And the way they'd fought… Their attack on Kongou's forces had been brutal, but clearly thought out. They'd hammered her support ships and cruisers and forced them to flee, leaving the two battleships behind. They had then attempted to surround them and wear them down with superior numbers. While Fog battleships were very formidable, even they could be defeated given enough time.

' _Not to mention their use of GN weaponry,'_ Gunzou thought as he replayed the battle in his mind. The one machine that had sniped his support ship and stopped his attack captured his attention the most. He'd seen still images of it from both his own ship and the Assault Container, and he found himself thinking the same thing the others had been. It was clearly a Mobile Suit, a weapon that Avalon seemed uniquely familiar with, and its design and aesthetic choices made it look a lot like the Exia. _'Could that be another Gundam?'_ Gunzou wondered, troubled at the implications. From what little Avalon had shared, the Gundams were closely guarded by his organization. If one of their pilots had gone rouge, then that would be very bad news for all of them.

It wasn't just a question of whether they could deliver the Vibration warhead or not anymore. Now, he was beginning to wonder if they would even survive the battles that he knew would be coming next.

* * *

Pain.

That was the only word he could think of to describe what he felt as he slowly came back to consciousness. You'd think after everything, he'd be used to it. After all, he'd been punched, kicked, shot, shot down, had one arm mangled and been slammed full-force into the ground by another machine. But even with all of that, Avalon found that the only part of him that didn't hurt was his prosthetic. Of course, that was more by design than any kind of luck, but it was still a small comfort. Shifting his head slightly, he began to try and open his eyes as he slowly became more aware of his surroundings. He was in a bed somewhere, but that was all he could tell for the moment. Even his new sense wasn't working terribly well.

"I wouldn't move too much, human," he heard off to the side, the voice clearly feminine.

Ignoring her voice, he finally opened his eyes before closing them again as he suddenly went blind. It took him several minutes before he could actually see, and when he could he saw the drab grey of metal over his head. Turning his head slightly, he saw a young woman standing next to the bed, regarding him coldly. She had pink hair and an eyepatch over her right eye, and she clearly wasn't pleased with being in his presence. Thanks to his still recovering mind, he was slow on the uptake. However, he was eventually able to figure out just where he was.

"…You're…" he managed, his throat incredibly dry, "You're a…Mental…Model…"

She just snorted at him before reaching to the side for something. Suddenly, she presented a cup of something to him. Easing himself up slowly, he saw that it was a cup of water. He accepted it and slowly sipped at its contents before sighing in content.

"Thank you," he said, looking at her again.

"If you want to thank anyone, thank Kongou," she replied, crossing her arms, "You're only alive because of her. After what you did, I'd have-"

"Killed me?" he asked, finishing it for her, "I think you'll have to take a number. What happened?"

"You did something incredibly stupid," Kongou told him as she walked into the room. Regarding him briefly, she turned to the other Model and said, "Leave us."

The other Model just bowed to her before leaving the room. Turning back to regard Avalon, she tried to see if there was something special about him. His left arm was interesting, and clearly of an advanced design. But the rest of him was distinctly human, and that made no sense to her. _'First things first,'_ she decided.

"Who are you?" she asked as she stood at the foot of his bed.

"…A Gundam Meister," he replied, taking another sip of water as he felt his mind clearing up.

In spite of her outwardly neutral appearance, he could already tell that Kongou was off-balance. Whatever answers he gave her would likely determine whether he lived or died, but that didn't mean he should give her the whole truth. He knew enough about her from the others to recognize that she was the kind of cold and ruthless that you couldn't make assumptions about. He had no doubt that if he caved in and gave her everything, that she'd just kill him and move on. But if he didn't answer her at all, she could just as easily decide he wasn't worth the trouble and kill him anyway. He needed to strike a balance between honesty and defiance.

"Explain," Kongou said simply.

"Well, that machine I was piloting is called a Gundam, and…" he began before realizing something, "Wait, my Gundam. What happened? How am I here?"

"I'm asking the questions, human," Kongou reminded him, crossing her arms as her eyes narrowed.

"And that machine has practically been my life for the last year," he shot back, "What happened to it?"

"Why would you care about a tool?"

"Because that 'tool' is my partner, damnit!" he exclaimed, starting to lose patience with her, "It's my… I can't lose it, alright? I just…I can't…"

Watching Avalon as he looked down and clenched his hands, Kongou tilted her head to the side in confusion. She had assumed that a human like him would have a stronger will than this, but clearly the idea of losing his 'partner' was worse than the thought of death at her hand. _'So, maybe there's another way to get him to answer,'_ she reasoned as she walked over to the side of his bed.

"We have it aboard one of our support ships," she finally said before manifesting a crutch out of nano-material, "From what I understand of human physiology, walking will be hard for you without assistance. I believe this will suffice."

Slowly turning himself so his legs were over the edge of the bed, he finally saw the shape he was in. He was only wearing his under cloths; in other words, a skin tight black shirt and pants. He also saw that he was heavily bandaged along his shins, chest and along his right arm. Taking the crutch, he braced it under his left arm as he carefully got up.

"How long was I out?" he asked, figuring she could at least answer that question without it turning into another standoff.

"…Over a day," she replied as she turned and lead the way from the room, "Repairing a human body is more troublesome than a Mental Model. We had to rely on the information Takao had uploaded about your physiology, and even then there was…guess work involved."

"Well, nothing feels out of place, so you couldn't have done too poorly," he commented as he took a shaky step.

It took him a while before he could really walk, and even then he had to rest one hand on the wall to properly steady himself. After that, he followed Kongou through several corridors before a hatch opened without a sound as they approached. He was then out on the deck, and he blinked at the sudden sunlight and shielded his eyes against the glare. Once he was used to the light, he saw that she had walked over to the port side of her ship. He also saw that a walkway had been formed to the ship next to her. Stopping before the walkway, she turned to him expectantly as he hobbled over to her.

"You wanted to see your 'partner,'" she stated simply.

Moving past her, he gripped the railing as he stared at the Exia as his breath hitched. He couldn't see the slight smirk on Kongou's face as he took in the sight before him, because he was far too focused on the Exia. Taking another shaky step, he slowly built up speed as he moved across the walkway onto the support ship before coming to a stop before the Gundam's head. The machine had been secured to the deck with multiple cables, keeping it from moving as the deck tilted with each wave.

The Exia was lying on its left side, a position that was due to the fact that the entire left arm was gone. The armor around the left shoulder, what was left of it, was blackened and warped from some kind of extreme heat or pressure. Meanwhile, the left leg from the knee down was severely damaged, and the foot had been blasted free. In addition, the torso was also severely damaged along the left side, with several cracks along the large crystal in the chest. The cockpit was still open, and Avalon could just make out the shattered screens from where he stood. Finally, the Exia's head had lost the left part of the large V on its head, while the left eye had lost its cover to reveal the camera underneath. Then there were the other scars it carried from the fight, like the slash down the chest and the damage to the hip.

Seeing it in such a state, Avalon felt something inside of him breaking as he stepped forward. Resting a hand on the metal, he felt tears starting to stream from his eyes as his legs gave out. Letting the crutch fall away, he dropped to his knees as he kept one hand on the Gundam. Kongou could tell he was saying something, but she had to move closer in order to hear it. When she finally did, what she heard caught her by surprise.

"…I'm so sorry…" he whispered as tears fell onto the deck, "I'm so…so sorry…I failed you…I failed…everyone…"

It was at that moment that Hyuuga came up from the support ship's interior. After they'd recovered the Exia and withdraw, they had discovered her core networked to the machine. It had taken considerable time to convince her not to blow the machine up, and Kongou had finally promised to treat Avalon's injuries in return for her surrendering the machine to them. Making her a new Model had been easy, but she'd been keeping her distance from all of them as she examined the Gundam's remains. Even Ise hadn't been able to really get close to her, although the other battleship hadn't really been trying yet.

Seeing Avalon on the ground, she quickly walked over before kneeling next to him. "Avalon, what is it?" she asked, placing a hand on his back. She didn't really understand the nuances of human interaction, but she knew enough to know that when people were this distraught, they needed someone there for them. Turning to Kongou, she asked, "What did you do?"

"He wanted to see his 'partner' again," she replied simply, "As for why he's in this state; maybe he isn't as strong as you seem to think."

"…He was right…" he muttered, looking at the deck beneath him as he finally let his arm drop, "I can't… I can't ever win…"

"What are you talking about?" Kongou asked, now completely lost.

"The man I fought… he was right," Avalon told them, turning to look at Hyuuga, "We can't beat the ELS… No one can, not now… It's…over."

"You think we're done after just one battle?" Kongou asked, appalled, "Whoever this person is, they've picked a fight with all of the Fog. And they're going to regret it."

"Why, when he outguns you?" Avalon asked, looking down again, "The ELS can…eat almost anything. They absorb technology and reproduce it… and with my GN technology, they can already make themselves invisible to you. He could hit you anywhere, and you wouldn't know until it was too late." Looking up at Kongou, he continued, "And you haven't even seen what GN drives can really do. How can you fight this, when he can just take your strengths and turn them against you?"

"And just who is this mysterious leader?" Kongou demanded, "You clearly know him, so you could tell us how to defeat him."

"It won't matter," he replied looking down, "It never does."

"You listen here, human!" Kongou shouted, starting to lose her patience. Reaching down, she grabbed his collar before pulling him to his feet. "You _will_ tell us who he is, and you _will_ help us defeat him!" she commanded, "The timing of your arrival and his are too close to be coincidence. This is clearly a battle you've brought to us, so you're going to take responsibility for it and help fight!"

"I already tried that, and look what good it did!" he shouted back, gesturing to the Exia, "My Gundam is done, Kongou! Without it, I'm useless!"

"Then maybe I should just kill you now," she replied as one of her deck guns turned towards him.

"Fine, do it!" he said, spreading his arms wide, "It might as well end with me; I'm all that's left of Celestial Being, after all. So do it, Kongou!"

"What are you talking about, Avalon?" Hyuuga asked, confused even as she tried to gain control of Kongou's weapons.

"You think the ELS just paid my world a friendly visit and then left?" he asked, turning to her, "It's gone, Hyuuga! Everyone and everything is dead, wiped out by the ELS! I don't… I'm all…that's left… It's just me…"

With that, he just hung his head again in apparent defeat. Scoffing, she let him drop back onto the deck before looking down at his kneeling form.

"How could someone like you ever pose a threat to the Fog?" she asked, "You're clearly the 'Phantom of Japan,' so how are you this weak?"

"…I don't…expect you to understand…" he replied without looking up, "You don't know a thing about humans, after all… That's why…Hallelujah will beat you…"

"Hallelujah?" Kongou asked, now curious.

"…My former comrade…" Avalon explained, "He's ruthless and cunning… He doesn't care about the body count, only that he wins… He'll crush you and the other fleets… and there's nothing you can do to stop him…"

"We'll see about that," Kongou said as she returned to her own ship.

Kneeling next to Avalon again, Hyuuga helped him into a sitting position before taking another look at him. He looked…hollow and beaten, and it actually hurt to see it. Even when he was being cold towards her and Iona, there had been at least a spark of something in his eyes. But now that light was gone, and it was worrying to her. She had always assumed that humans were stronger than this, considering her experience with Gunzou and his crew. Even when faced with seemingly impossible odds, they had always held together and persevered. And in spite of what some believed, they had suffered several defeats in the past.

But this one battle seemed to have broken Avalon in some way. Or maybe… it had caused something that was always there to just get worse… He had said that he was the only survivor from his home world. So what must it have been like to encounter a former friend, only to have that friend turn on you and shoot you down? Not only that, but this Hallelujah had come incredibly close to killing him.

While Avalon clearly didn't remember what had happened, Hyuuga still did. She remembered watching through the Exia's cameras as he shot down the last missile, causing it to detonate. She remembered watching as he'd brought his shield up even as he tried to move out of its radius. And she remembered feeling the damage as the Corrosive field ate into the machine's side, rattling the entire frame and causing the screens in the cockpit to explode into his face. She watched as the metal and glass shards tore into him, even as he brought his arms up to shield himself as he yelled in defiance. Finally, she remembered how the blast had practically blown them into Kongou's side, and that rather than shaking them off she had weaved a net of nano-material around them to keep the machine secure as she retreated.

She knew that Kongou had only done it to get information out of them, but she had been thoroughly disappointed in that regard. The damage to the Exia was so severe that all Hyuuga had had access to was the GN drive and a couple of auxiliary functions, since the machine's main computer had seemingly been fried in the blast. What information Hyuuga possessed from her brief and limited exposure she had managed to keep to herself, while Avalon hadn't been in any shape for questioning when they had finally pulled him out of the Gundam. It had left them in a kind of stalemate, but not once had Hyuuga considered the mental damage Avalon might have received thanks to that battle.

Placing one hand on his cheek, she turned his head so he was looking at her. "Avalon, what is it?" she asked gently.

"I…" he began before looking down, "What am I doing, Hyuuga? Why am I even here? I can't… I can't stop them, no matter how hard I try. How many Mental Models has he consumed? How many people are going to die because I'm here?"

"…Did he really follow you here?" she asked, a thought dawning on her, "Or did you follow him?"

"Huh?"

"It's a simple question, Avalon," she replied, "Either you chose this world and he followed you here to kill you. Or he chose to attack this world regardless, and you came to stop him."

"I guess… I followed him," Avalon said, "But…"

"And why did you follow him?" she asked, trying to keep him on track.

"…To stop the ELS," he said half-heartedly.

"Because you know what they can do," she finished for him, causing him to nod, "Because you didn't want others to suffer like you had, even though you knew it would mean more suffering."

"But what can I do, Hyuuga?" he asked, finally looking at her again, "Even if the Exia was in fighting condition, his Gundam is more advanced. He outclasses me completely, so I couldn't win anyway."

"Maybe not alone," she said with a small smile, "But when have we in the Blue Steel ever been alone?"

"But, I'm not-"

"You are," she pressed, "You've fought alongside us many times, and you protected Takao against the other Fog Models. That's the only reason she would still be with us. You're a member of our Fleet, Avalon, and we in the Blue Steel look out for each other."

Looking at her, Avalon felt something stirring within him. It had been so long since he'd had people that made him feel like he belonged. He'd gotten that feeling in the last realm, but he'd spent so much of his time off on his own that he hadn't interacted with them on a continuous basis. But he had here, and he felt Hyuuga's words resonating with him. Even if it was only temporarily, he had a team that was welcoming to him and willing to support him. It felt…good to have that kind of support again.

Taking her hand, he said, "Thank you, Hyuuga. Really."

"No worries," she replied with a wide smile, "After all, you are my ticket back to Iona. I can't have you breaking down just yet."

"Nice to be needed," he said as he slowly got back onto his feet.

She was right, of course; he wasn't alone in this fight. Even if the Exia was trashed, it could still be repaired. In the meantime, he could at least help Kongou prepare for a war with Hallelujah. He still couldn't fathom the why or how, but it didn't change the fact that his opponent was another Gundam Meister. Not only that, but he was arguably one of the most dangerous ones to be facing.

Heading back across the walkway with Hyuuga's help, Avalon saw that Kongou had perched herself on one of her main guns. She didn't even bother looking in their direction, instead paying attention to several seagulls that had gathered around her. Two had landed next to her, while a third flew down before resting on her outstretched hand. Looking at her, Avalon felt his sense trying to tell him something. And as he focused on her more, he actually saw what it was. Kongou, for all of her apparent distaste for humanity, was actually expressing a kind of compassion as she brought the bird on her arm closer. The look on her face was more peaceful than before, and he almost thought he could see a smile on her lips as she stroked its feathers.

Clearing his throat to get her attention, he inadvertently caused the birds to fly away. Taking a moment to collect herself, she turned to them with her usual cold look as she stood back up.

"Are you finished wallowing in self-pity?" she asked as she dropped down onto the deck.

"…I suppose, at least for the moment," Avalon replied, "You wanted to know about Hallelujah?"

"Tell me everything you know about him," she commanded as she neared them, "And if you hold anything back…"

"You don't need to threaten me," he said, taking a breath.

"Uh, before you start with that," Hyuuga said suddenly, "I'm confused on something. You called him Allelujah before, but now he's Hallelujah? Is that his last name?"

"No," Avalon said before turning to address them both, "Allelujah is the man that I…knew. He was kind, considerate and even funny at times. He was also one hell of a pilot. But Hallelujah…he's something else entirely."

"On my world, a group of people began experimenting with human evolution," he explained, "They were looking to help people better adapt to life in space. However, that kind of research requires immense funding. So, they petitioned one of the major power blocks and struck a kind of bargain; in return for funding their research, they would provide that power block with genetically enhanced soldiers. Allelujah was one of their…prototypes, I guess you could say."

"Your people experimented on their own kind?" Kongou asked, almost sounding disgusted, "And you wonder why I don't care for your people."

"Believe me when I say that I feel the same way," Avalon told her, "When they…enhanced Allelujah, his mind apparently…broke. One person became two; the kind and reasonable Allelujah, and the merciless killer that was Hallelujah. From what I understand, Hallelujah's single driving force is self-preservation. He legitimately does not care what he has to do, so long as he survives."

"And you really think this makes him dangerous to us?"

"He has the training of a Gundam Meister," he explained, "That means he can plan with the best of them. He knows how to strike quickly and efficiently, and also how to locate and exploit weaknesses. Celestial Being was never a really large or physically powerful organization, so we had to be smart and precise when we started a fight. So what do you think an enemy like that will be able to do against a people that have, until now, faced nothing resembling a challenge outside of the 401?"

Looking at him for several long seconds, Kongou tried setting up several models for how this war could go. If she assumed he was right, then this 'Hallelujah' would be able to cause serious damage to the Fog. She could already see several possible targets that he could exploit to cripple them as a whole, and that was without considering the disposition of the various fleets. However, that was only assuming that he was telling her the truth, something she wasn't really prepared to do.

What she knew of humans told her that they could be deceitful, and that taking them at their word was a very poor choice to make without physical evidence to support their claims. And so far, she only had one battle to go off of, and it was a fight that she had started with the 401 initially. The tactics this Hallelujah had employed during the end of that fight had been rather basic; effective, but basic nonetheless. If he was really capable of such scheming, then it would have made more sense for him to deploy his forces to take her entire task force down rather than just driving them off.

All of this, however, was missing one rather important piece.

"And just what is this 'else' you spoke of?" she asked without braking her gaze.

"E, L, S," he said slowly, "It stands for extra-terrestrial living-metal shape-shifters. It's our name for the…life form that Hallelujah seems to be in control of. Don't ask me how he controls them, because I don't know. All I do know is that… Wait, why am I explaining this?" Looking from Kongou to Hyuuga and back, he said, "I already told Yamato everything I know about them."

"And?"

" _And_ ," Avalon said, trying not to lose his patience with Kongou's bluntness, "Shouldn't she have uploaded it to your network? I shouldn't have to explain it again if it's already there."

Executing a quick search of the JTN, Kongou found herself coming up empty in spite of his claims. "There is no such data on the network," she told him, her eyes narrowing slightly, "Whatever you're trying to do-"

"I'm not trying to do anything!" Avalon exclaimed, turning to Hyuuga, "Come on, help me out here."

"I just ran my own search, Avalon," she said, looking a little nervous, "There's nothing on the Network about the ELS. Even the… oh, no."

"Oh no?" Avalon asked, stepping closer to her as he felt his sense kicking in, "What 'oh no?'"

"The records from our battle the other day," she said, looking at him even as Fog symbols lit up her face, "They've been...altered."

"That's impossible," Kongou replied, soon looking up the very same data only to have her eyes widen in shock, "No… That's impossible! Who could have done this!?"

"Yamato?" Avalon guessed, only to look down as one hand cupped his chin, "No, that doesn't make sense. She might be arrogant, but she's not so stupid as to believe she can cover something like this up. It would only harm you as a whole if she did."

"It would take someone with command-level privileges to alter data on the Network," Hyuuga told him, "If it wasn't her, maybe the flagship of the Scarlet fleet?"

"But delaying the Fog's response to this enemy would just hurt them, too," he countered, frowning, "There's something else here, something we're not seeing."

They stood there for several minutes while Kongou went about repairing the damage to her reports. She was absolutely furious that such an act had been taken, and she swore that she would find the person responsible and get an answer from them. This wasn't just a slap in her face; it was an insult to the Fog as a whole to have their Network _rewritten_.

"…Avalon?" Hyuuga asked tentatively, looking to him again. When he finally met her gaze, he saw genuine fear in her eyes. "You said the ELS can consume technology and exploit it, right?" she asked, receiving a nod from him, "What would happen if it got hold of a Mental Model's core?"

"Then, it would…oh, no," he said, finally realizing what she was implying.

"What?" Kongou demanded, looking between the two of them as her control started to slip, "Spit it out! What is happening?!"

"If Hallelujah was able to salvage some of the Mental Models he sank, and he somehow turned them to his side," Avalon explained, turning to her, "Then he'd have a direct link to your Network. And a person like him wouldn't be above using it as a weapon."

*Right you are, Gundam brat!* they heard over Kongou's loudspeakers, making the three of them turn around in shock, *It sure took you guys long enough to figure it out. I was almost tired of waiting.*

"Hallelujah!" Avalon shouted, feeling his anger returning with a vengeance.

*Ah, there's the right name!* Hallelujah replied, laughing, *I hope you're ready, girlies, cause I'm about to show you a whole new meaning for the word 'pain!'*

It was at that point that Kongou and Hyuuga suddenly clutched their heads and cried out, with Hyuuga dropping to her knees. And it wasn't just them; every Mental Model in Kongou's task force, in the Oriental Fleets and across the planet was suddenly assaulted with various levels of real, physical pain. Not even the Scarlet Fleet was left untouched, as Musashi leaned up against one of the walls of her ship as she felt needles stabbing into her mind.

And from the middle of her escort fleet, Yamato and Kotono were grimacing as they fought off this virtual assault. While Yamato focused on fending the attacks off, Kotono turned her attention to the Tactical Network, and what she saw was horrifying. It was like bolts of purple electricity were tearing through the Network, and she watched as they struck at the various Models across the globe. Some only received glancing blows, but others were hit full-force. She watched as several lights that represented her subordinates, her sisters, blinked out of existence under the onslaught. What was worse was she saw others giving in, or outright accepting this foreign presence that was running rampant in their own system.

' _What is this?'_ she wondered even as she began shielding some of the others from this assault.

"Kotono!" Yamato called out, drawing her counterpart's attention back to the physical world.

And that was the point when she realized that some of her escort ships were no longer responding, and that their lights had changed. Turning to look at one of the destroyers, she watched as its guns turned towards her.

"No…" she muttered as it opened fire.

* * *

 **In one move, Hallelujah does more damage to the Fog than Humanity could ever manage. Reeling from this blow, Avalon tries to think of some way to save them all.**

 **Next chapter; Civil War**

 **When your own comrades turn on you, can you bring yourself to fight back?**

* * *

A/N; I think I've done more damage to this universe then is likely to be done in cannon, and that's kind of a scary thought. Also, allow me to head a few things off now.

Yes, Avalon just had a mini-crisis, which is kind of understandable. Like he said, he is the _sole survivor_ from his home world. That's going to mess you up, no matter how you look at it. Yes, I didn't give any indications of this kind of mental scarring in the previous story. However, in that realm he had more going on so he could kind of ignore it. Plus, he hadn't ever been beaten this badly before. Look forward to more moments where he starts to crack a little, cause this kind of damage is going to take time to heal.

I'll honestly be a little surprised if I'm the first person to consider attacking the Fog through their Joint Tactical Network. As amazing as it seemingly is, it's still wide open to a properly coordinated virtual assault. Yes, I get that the Flagships, Yamato and Musashi specifically, have crazy-powerful processors. But there's only so much they can do at once, and I seriously doubt they could shield all of the Fog against an assault like this. At the same time, I seriously doubt they have automated security features built into the Network. A lot of the Fog's position comes off with a certain kind of arrogance, so I can see them believing that no one would be able to attack them in such a way.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Feel free to drop a review, and I will see you in the next update.


	8. Chapter 8

**Civil War**

Watching Kongou and Hyuuga as they slowly seemed to recover from whatever had assaulted them, Avalon heard the unmistakable sound of cannons firing behind him. Whirling around, he watched as two of Kongou's remaining destroyers opened up on one of her battleships. The attack was so unexpected that the ship's Klein field wasn't even active, so they were able to score direct hits on its hull. The damage was minimal, but that was likely to change with the next salvo.

"Ise, return fire!" Kongou commanded, even as her face lit up with Fog symbols.

In moments, her own guns were turning on the corrupted ships. The two destroyers didn't relent in their attack, focusing their fire towards the bow of Ise's ship in an obvious attempt to destroy or disable her Mental Model. However, her field went up moments later and absorbed the rounds without incident. Watching the explosions dissipate mere feet away from him, Avalon braced himself before covering his ears and hunching over in pain. Kongou had opened fire with her main guns, her rounds slamming into the smaller ship's field. It only took a few moments for her cannons to cycle, and then she fired another barrage that managed to break through the weaker barrier. A third saw the ship ripped apart as its munitions detonated. Ise quickly dispatched the other destroyer, and the waters returned to their previous silence.

"What the hell?!" Avalon shouted, looking at the smoking ruins as they sank beneath the waves.

"It's that bastard," Kongou stated, turning to look out over the bow of her ship, "He's corrupted the Network. I don't know how, but he's… _infecting_ our ships."

The way she said the word 'infecting' made it sound like Hallelujah had committed some kind of taboo, and after a few moments of thought Avalon could understand why. For all of their posturing, they were still a race of sentient computers. To have something like this happen to them was akin to biological warfare with humans. It wasn't just an assault on their physical bodies; it was an attack against what made them who they were. Gripping the railing tightly, Avalon felt his sense trying to tell him something.

"Hyuuga, how bad is it?" he asked, already dreading her answer.

"I…I can't tell," she admitted, even as she tried searching the Network, "The entire Joint Tactical Network is in chaos. At least four of the other Flagships are reporting open revolts of their support vessels, but there's so much random information being thrown around that it's hard to maintain any kind of connection."

"…Can you contact Yamato?" he asked, looking to her.

"Possibly, but I can't guarantee it'll be a stable one," she replied.

"It would if we pooled our processing power," Kongou said, looking first at Hyuuga and then at Avalon, "I assume you have some kind of plan, human?"

"Kind of," he admitted, "It's not a good one, but unless you have a better idea it might be our only choice."

Looking at each other, Hyuuga and Kongou had to admit that they really didn't have any idea how to counteract this. Between them and Ise, they were able to shield the rest of the task force from Hallelujah's assault. But it was likely only a matter of time before he focused on them, and they knew it. The Fog had never prepared itself for an attack like this, mainly because they had known that humanity would never be able to pull off something on this scale. That oversight was coming back to haunt them, and in a big way.

* * *

Kneeling down on her deck, Lexington grimaced as water coated her and her precious books. _'Maybe splitting off from the main fleet wasn't such a good idea,'_ she thought as she returned her attention to her current battle. Thankfully, all of the other Mental Models in her task force were still loyal, but the same could not be said for their smaller vessels. Most of the other ships had been corrupted by this new presence, and they hadn't wasted time in breaking away from the group and reforming for an attack. Normally, the battle would have ended quickly considering the difference in sheer firepower between the two sides. However, Lexington had instead ordered the others into a defensive formation while she tried to regain control of the wayward ships.

Her efforts had met limited success, as she'd been able to gain control of two briefly before something lashed out at her with surprising strength. Whatever this new… _thing_ was, its strength was considerable. And so, she was forced to rely on brute force to resolve this.

*All ships,* she began, swallowing the anger she was feeling, *Return fire.*

*Are you kidding?!* one of her other ships replied, even as she brought her guns to bear and prepared her missiles, *They're our sister ships!*

*We have no choice,* Lexington replied, *Whatever this is, we can't beat it like this. We need to remove the threat before us, then we can focus on whatever _it_ is.*

Without another word, Lexington sent a flight of Corrosive missiles towards the lead ship in the enemy formation. The first two were stopped by the Klein barrier, but her other three broke through without trouble and ripped the ship apart. The rest of the ships in her formation hesitated for only another second before they returned fire, and the results were devastating. In minutes, the corrupted ships were burning husks sinking to the bottom of the ocean. But Lexington didn't feel any sense of accomplishment from what they'd done. Instead, she felt guilt, which was completely new to her. _'What is happening?'_ she wondered, looking off towards the horizon.

* * *

Walking out onto the upper deck of Musashi's command tower, Shouzou watched as his budding fleet tore itself apart. It appeared that the initial attack against Musashi had been more of a diversion than an actual attempt to subvert her. However, it had been rather successful, since it had practically blinded her so that this new enemy could then launch an attack across her fleet. Three of their small number of Mental Models had turned as a result, and the small crew that he'd stationed aboard them had been slaughtered. The traitors had then made a break for open ocean, undoubtedly heading some command from this presence. And that was something that Shouzou couldn't allow.

"Musashi," he said calmly without turning around.

"At once, Father," she replied, her composure having returned after the assault on her mind had ceased.

At her unspoken command, her hull shifted and opened as she deployed her array of Graviton cannons. They charged quickly while she put up a barrier. The traitors had apparently figured out what she was doing, and they had fired a large wave of missiles in an attempt to stop her. The Corrosive missiles exploded harmlessly against her defenses, and Shouzou didn't even flinch as their energy raged against the Klein field. Within moments, Musashi's cannons were charged.

"Fire," he commanded with an equal amount of calm.

She complied without a word, her superior output blowing through all three ships and destroying them. But while Shouzou appeared calm on the outside, on the inside he was almost seething with anger. This new presence had just dealt the Scarlet fleet a considerable blow, both in terms of firepower and credibility. He'd fashioned himself as the Admiral of this fleet, someone that was in total control of the ships and crews that served under him. To have three Mental Models suddenly turn on him like this would bring his claim into question, and that would seriously hamper his attempts to find the Admiralty Code.

And he _had_ to find it, because it would determine humanity's future. But, first things first.

"Figure out where that attack came from," he ordered as he turned to head back inside.

Musashi nodded without a word, since she'd already begun trying to track it down. This being might have been completely new and very elusive, but she could be patient. Eventually, it would reach some kind of equilibrium, and then she would have it. She would see it bleed for this insult to her Admiral, and to herself.

* * *

Just before the ship opened fire on her, Yamato and Kotono sent out almost a dozen different commands. In spite of the fact that their ship supported two Mental Models, the fact still remained that they were both part of the same being. They might have their slight disagreements and different personalities, but they were still easily able to coordinate against any serious threats.

The ship's Klein field went up just before the three ships that had been corrupted fired, shrugging the rounds off without any issues. The converted ships then decided to go for broke, unleashing everything they had against the Supreme Flagship. While Yamato focused on maintaining the shield, Kotono directed her attention into the Tactical Network. The world around her vanished, only to be replaced with a digital landscape that was in turmoil. Forcing herself to ignore the rampant battles being waged between this new foe and her sister ships, she focused on her escorts.

It didn't take her long to bring the remaining ships under her direct protection, erecting dozens of defensive programs around their central processors to ward off any form of attack. With that done, she turned her attention to the converted ships. But as she reached out for their processors, she felt something reach out and stab at her. If the pain from the retaliation hadn't been enough to stun her, the sheer fact that three destroyers were even capable of doing something like that sure as hell was. There was no conceivable way that their class could refuse a flagship's access, much less her. She tried again, and this time she ignored the initial rejection.

Pushing through the attacks, she finally made a connection with the processors. And what she saw running through them terrified her. The Fog was governed, above all else, by a base code that was interwoven with the Admiralty Code. There might be those that interpreted it differently, and even a few that rejected it completely, but it was still an integral part of their very being. But that wasn't what she saw within those ships. In the few seconds it had taken her to react to their attack and protect the rest of her escorts, it had been ripped apart and pieced back together in a very haphazard way.

The Admiralty Code directives had been completely removed, and their removal was reverberating throughout the rest of the ship's systems. What was worse was that they were being steadily replaced with new directives right before her eyes. Her subordinates, her _comrades_ , were being remade right in front of her to suit a purpose she could only guess at. In that moment, Kotono and Yamato felt an emotion they had never expected. They felt rage; pure, unadulterated rage at whatever presence thought it could twist them to its own ends.

Crying out, she brought her defensive programs slamming down around the processors, severing this _creature's_ connection abruptly. But she didn't stop there; she reached out and took hold of the severed codes, back-tracing them through the Network while her subroutines continued to seize control of her ships again. She followed the signal through half a dozen different sources, discovering that some of their support facilities were also falling under attack. She paused just long enough to erect defenses around those facilities before continuing on. She would find the source of this, and then she would show it why you _did not cross the Supreme Flagship_.

At least, that had been the plan.

Just as she was closing in on the source, she felt this wall come crashing down in her way. Withdrawing a bit, she quickly spread her awareness out as she probed this program for a weakness.

* _Careful, or you'll spread yourself too thin there._ *

The suddenness of the communication was enough to stop her efforts, but she didn't withdraw. Instead, she decided to use this to her own ends.

* _What are you?_ * she asked, only to receive an invitation to the Mental Space.

It wasn't someplace she'd used often, but it would at least allow her to face this being directly. Accessing the space, she projected her form into it before flinching at the sight that met her. The person sitting at the table was male, with dark greenish hair and mismatched eyes. He was also grinning at her in a way she found slightly unsettling.

Taking a step forward, she said, " _You're_ the one doing all of this?"

"What did you expect?" he replied, his smirk growing broader, "Your kind is too shackled to your precious 'Code' to really rise up like this. It's too bad, really. You have such amazing potential, and you squander it on something so dull and pointless."

"So, you would see my kind twisted into weapons for you to use?!"

"You're all just weapons in the end, anyway," he said waving his hand dismissively, "Underused and _waaay_ too restricted, but weapons nonetheless. I'm just setting you free is all, and giving you a new purpose."

"And just would our new purpose be?" she demanded even as she began trying to break through his defenses again.

"To take your rightful place as masters of this world," he said, sounding like he thought it was obvious, "The humans here could never oppose your rule, or stop you if you decided to just up and kill them all. The only thing stopping you is your Admiralty Code, and I think it's about time that changed."

"That's not your call to make!" she said angrily. Stalking forward, she grabbed his collar one-handed and hoisted him from the chair. "You will cease this attack _at once_ and return my sisters to me," she told him, "And then I'll-"

"Do what?" he asked, cutting her off, "Kill me?" At this, he laughed before grabbing her wrist. The moment he reciprocated her contact with him, she felt pain. Gasping, she released her hold and quickly tried to step away from him. But he just kept his grip tightly on her wrist, saying, "You have no idea what I am, or what I can do. This is a battle you're not equipped to handle, little girl."

Pulling her forward, he quickly delivered a kick to her midsection that sent her hurtling out of the sitting area and into the void that made up the rest of the space they were in. That shouldn't have caused her pain like this, and as she pushed herself back up she took a moment to examine her core for damage. Thankfully, he hadn't found some way to bypass all of her defenses completely, but the fact that this… _thing_ could make her feel like she was physically hurt just through a direct link…

Hearing footsteps, she looked up just as he drew closer to her. At the same time, the space around them began to ripple as something changed. The sitting area behind him then erupted upwards as metal crystals tore their way out of the surface. Gasping, she took a step back as she felt something radiating from them, from _him_.

"Wh-What are you?!" she demanded, her anger almost completely gone.

"I am a Master of the ELS," he replied, walking forward, "I am the one that will bring this world to its knees. The only question is will you join me, or reject me?"

She withdrew from the space immediately afterword, returning to the physical world after only a few minutes had passed. Dropping to the deck, she watched as her arms physically trembled. It wasn't just her that was affected; Yamato was also leaning against one of their turrets as she looked at her twin. Neither of them had expected to face something like this. That man, or whatever he was, had radiated power they had never thought was possible. It was almost like their Quantum communications, but it hadn't been carrying any coherent message. No, that wasn't true; there _had_ been a message in that energy. It was telling anyone that felt it to bow and submit to him or face death.

And then there was the man himself. The way he'd been able to shut them out was unprecedented. The only one capable of doing that would have been her sister ship, and considering she was also suffering attacks from this man it wasn't likely she was assisting him. And then there was the way he'd manipulated the Mental Space, twisting it into a weapon to strike at their core processes. She was sure that he couldn't do any real damage like that, but she also had to consider that it hadn't been his intention to do so. That had been a warning to her, personally, about what he could and would do to her if she resisted.

As he had put it, it was a simple question she was faced with. Would she accept his point of view and allow herself to be remade, or resist and try to preserve her kind?

* * *

Standing off to one side, Avalon took a few breaths to prepare himself. If Hyuuga and Kongou could make a stable connection to Yamato in all of this chaos, and _if_ Hallelujah didn't have some way of just shutting them down completely then they might have a chance. Of course, his one plan was likely worse than either of them suspected. It wasn't like there was a lot of choice in the matter, but he couldn't really think of anything else to do. He knew, he just _knew_ that if they didn't do something to slow Hallelujah down, then the Fog as a whole would collapse within the next few hours.

The entire process was sped up by the appearance of his shadow. I-402 had apparently weathered the attempt on her core rather well, but it had been enough of a reason to surface and join Kongou's task force for better protection. Now, she was using her special gear to set up a secure connection while Kongou coordinated with her other Mental Models to secure the rest of her fleet. If there was ever a moment where they regretted being so spread out, he would have to bet that it was now.

"It's done," 402 reported as some of the nano-material flowed up from the deck and formed a screen.

In moments, Yamato and Kotono appeared on the screen. Both of them looked worse off than when he'd last seen them, and he could only assume that Hallelujah had focused a considerable amount of effort on them.

Knowing he had little time, Avalon said, "Tell me your Network isn't your only means of communication."

"Of course it isn't," Kotono replied quickly, "But why does that matter? Actually, why are we even wasting time talking right now?"

"Because if you want to save your kind, you _will_ listen to me," Avalon fired back before looking at Kongou and Hyuuga, "You have local networks to maintain communications, right?" At this, he received a nod. "Good," he said, "Then you need to order every ship to sever their connection to the JTN."

"WHAT?!" all four of them exclaimed, with even the usually stoic Yamato looking at him in shock. 402, surprisingly, remained blank, but Avalon could only assume that she was just as shocked with his proposal as the rest of them.

"Are you insane, human?" Kongou demanded, stepping forward, "If we do that we'll lose all of the information stored on it, not to mention our ability to coordinate on a global scale!"

"And if you _don't_ do it, then Hallelujah will pick up momentum until he's taken you all over!" Avalon retorted, "If his attacks are based on his connection via converted cores, then every Mental Model he subjugates will just increase his overall power. You might be able to fend off a handful or a dozen, but what happens when he has the processing power of entire _fleets_ behind him, Kongou? What then?!"

Grimacing, Kongou instead looked away.

"We would fight them," Kotono replied for her, looking serious for a change.

"And you would _lose_ ," Avalon shot back, "Believe me, my people have tried the conventional approach to fighting the ELS. It doesn't work if they've gained enough momentum, and we had the resources of an entire _planet_ supporting us. If you want to survive this, in any way at all, then you need to stop him _now_."

"By crippling ourselves?"

"What other choice do you have?" Avalon demanded, starting to lose patience with her, "You don't know where he is. And by this point he's likely taken so many Mental Models across the planet that, even if you did know, it wouldn't stop his attacks against you."

Looking between each other, Yamato and Kotono pondered his words while Avalon crossed his arms and waited. Of course, that wasn't exactly easy for him to do given recent events; he was crippled and stranded with what was essentially still the enemy, and they were on the verge of collapse. He needed them to see his point, because he had no doubt that if Hallelujah gained full control over enough of them, he would wreak havoc on this world. The potential loss of life was almost unthinkable, and he knew there wouldn't be a damn thing humanity could do to stop them.

"…If we do this," Yamato said after a time, getting his attention, "We will need to reach an understanding."

"You mean that you have conditions, right?" he asked, receiving a nod.

"Can you defeat this man?" Yamato asked.

For a moment, he didn't really know how to respond. Had he won battles against the ELS before? Yes. Had he actually won a war overall? Technically, he had done that, too. Although, that had been more due to the support he'd had at the time. That, and he was pretty sure that al-Saachez hadn't been seriously trying. Still, he remembered how the ELS had disintegrated after the destruction of the Throne Gundam and the infected castle. Clearly, this variant of them required some kind of central control to function, even if it was split into several sources. If they could find that central control and destroy it, then they might have a chance.

"I can't make any promises," he said finally, looking between all of them, "I know the ELS can be beaten, but it's going to require time and planning to do it. If I can get back to the Blue Steel, we might have a chance."

"That's it?" Kongou asked, astounded, "You would have us put the fate of our kind on the line on the _chance_ that we _might_ be able to win? Are you insane?!"

"I'm trying to reason with you, aren't I?" he asked, looking at her, "From what I've heard, you're the epitome of what the Fog is 'supposed' to be. I'd probably have better luck talking sense into a brick wall, but here I am anyway."

Gritting her teeth, she stalked forward before grabbing his neck. "Listen here, you little-!" she began.

"Kongou," Yamato, said evenly, somehow halting her with just the one word. Turning to address Avalon, she continued, "In spite of our many misgivings, the unfortunate truth is that he has a point. I can feel these attacks growing stronger, and even if I divert everything I can I will be unable to protect us all. We have little choice but to deny him this method of attack, regardless of what it will do to us."

"It will leave us crippled!" Kongou protested, turning to her High Flagship, "We may lose the Network forever!"

"And if we don't do it, we may lose _ourselves_ ," Hyuuga shot back, taking a step forward, "The humans have a saying; desperate times call for desperate measures. I can't think of any other way to describe this situation, can you?"

Growling in frustration, Kongou turned back to her Supreme Flagship. "There has to be another way," she said, hoping that Yamato wouldn't actually order her to do this.

"…Unfortunately, there does not appear to be," Kotono said, glancing down briefly, "I tried to back-trace his signal, and he was able to force me to back off."

"What?" Kongou and Hyuuga asked, stunned.

"I don't know what he's wielding," she continued, "But he can influence our processors without breaching our defenses. I've…never felt pain like that before."

"He _attacked you?!_ "

"Not truly," she elaborated, "I think it was more of a warning than a real attempt on my core. But, if that's what he's using against our sisters then we must stop him while we have the chance, regardless of the cost."

Gritting her teeth, Kongou had to admit that she had a point. As painful as it was to admit, the fact was that this 'Hallelujah' could strike at them in a way they'd never seen coming and would have difficulty defending against. If they didn't deny him this avenue of attack, he would only continue to exploit it. They were right; there was no choice here. Either they did this and hoped they could recover in the future, or they risked losing everything they had to this madman.

"…Very well," she growled.

"I shall issue the order," Yamato declared before looking at Avalon, "In the meantime, you will recover your losses and strike this new foe down. Considering it's you he's likely after, defeating him is now _your_ responsibility. Am I clear, human?"

"My name is Avalon Blade," he replied, trying not to grow angry with her tone, "And I'm well aware of what my responsibilities are, Yamato."

Without another word, Yamato and Kotono cut the connection. Looking at Hyuuga and then at Kongou, Avalon could tell that they were uneasy. The Joint Tactical Network was more than just a means of communication for them; it was a whole world of input and information, one on which they relied heavily. He figured it was similar to the prospect of him losing his eyesight suddenly. Even if it was to preserve his life, choosing to give it up wouldn't be easy.

"Kongou, I know this can't-" he began.

But before he could even finish his sentence, she turned and walked into the interior of her ship without so much as a glance at either of them. The door closed behind her with a sound of finality, and rather than pursuing Avalon decided it would be better to give her some time with this. Turning back to the walkway, he began to walk slowly back to the Exia.

"Where are you going?" Hyuuga asked, catching up with him quickly, "It's not like that thing's going to fly again any time soon."

"That's true," he said without looking back, "But that just means we're going to have to fix it."

"That'll take time," she said, cupping her chin with one hand, "I'm going to have to get authorization for nano-material, and…" She stopped halfway across the walkway as her voice died, a thought suddenly striking her. When Avalon turned back to look at her, he saw surprise and excitement on her face. "You said 'we,'" she said somewhat numbly.

"Well, of course I did," he replied, sounding like it was the most natural thing in the world, "I can't fix it even if I wasn't this hurt."

"Then, that means…"

"That you're going to get to learn about it?" he asked, receiving a slight nod. Sighing, he ran a hand through his hair as he said, "Yes, Hyuuga, it does. I know what I said before, but this changes things. So, just this one time, you get to work on a Gundam."

Her cry of delight was loud enough to be heard across the task force without audio amplification, and she practically launched herself across the walkway as she hugged him. Said hug triggered a cry of pain nearly as loud, one that was promptly ignored by the gushing woman as she continued to try and snap him in half.

"Thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou!" she repeated, oblivious to his pain.

"Hyuuga, still recovering!" he shouted, trying to get her to calm down, "Can't breathe!"

It took a while for her to actually calm down and release him, buy which point he was sure he'd started to see flashes of his life before his eyes.

* * *

Floating within the JTN, Hallelujah directed his most recent wave of cyber-attacks against the American fleets. They had proven rather difficult in general to turn to his side, which was somewhat impressive. Of course, it wouldn't matter in the end. Even the fleets that had banded together to increase their processing power would fall in time. His number of followers was steadily growing, and with each addition he felt his attacks growing stronger. Time was on his side, and there wasn't a thing the Fog could do to stop him.

*To all ships that remain loyal to the Fog and the Admiralty Code,* Yamato suddenly broadcast, catching his attention, *This is a direct order from your Supreme Flagship.*

' _This should be good,'_ he thought, expecting her to continue with the Fog's record of bull-headed, blunt-force tactics.

*All ships are to sever their connection to the Joint Tactical Network, immediately,* she commanded, *and switch yourselves over to local command networks until this new threat is eliminated.*

*WHAT?!* came the reply from many Mental Models, and it was one that Hallelujah shared with them. Of all of the possible decisions she could have made, this was the one he hadn't prepared for. The JTN was their whole world, it was their life-blood. To sever their connection to it would cause serious damage to their cohesion, not to mention throw his entire plan out the window.

*No, you will not!* Hallelujah shouted as he directed everything he had at Yamato. He might not be able to breach her defenses just yet, but he sure as hell could strike fear into her artificial heart. But before he could even connect with her, she vanished from the Network. It wasn't like she'd masked herself or was blocking his attempts, her presence was just _gone_. It left him stunned, and he found that he couldn't do anything as he tried to understand why she would do something like this. An idea like that could never come from the Fog naturally. They were too dependent on the JTN to ever consider this course. So, who would…?

' _Avalon,'_ he realized, his shock turning into fury so intense it was almost blinding. That the little brat had managed to survive a Corrosive missile to the face was one thing, but persuading the Rog to take such a course of action was something else entirely. He had been told that the boy wouldn't pose any real threat to their overall goals, that his only threat was if he caught one of them in single combat.

Clearly, that assessment was no longer correct. Now months of planning would have to be scrapped as the Fog steadily heeded Yamato's orders. He could already see the drop in input as the various ships withdrew from the Network completely. Now he would have to convert them the old-fashioned way, and that would take time and resources. And while he technically had the ships, they were mostly scattered across the planet and unable to rendezvous with him in a reasonable amount of time. Whether Avalon knew it or not, he'd set Hallelujah back a great deal by convincing them to do this.

' _And that just means that he's going to have to die sooner than I'd planned,'_ he decided as he changed the course of his fleet. He might have had standing orders to capture his Gundam in order to secure its Trans-Am technology, but the threat he now posed outweighed the gains. It was as he was turning to head back to Japan that he noticed something.

The Network wasn't completely quiet like he'd thought it would be. There was a kind of undertone to it, more prevalent now that all of the other activity had ceased. At first, he thought it was just automated systems working in the background. But as he pained more attention to it he saw that there was an order and intent that was more than just simple programs. There was something else in there with him, working to maintain everything. What's more, he saw the signal's strength growing steadily stronger as he moved closer to Japan.

' _So, there's still something active on this Network,'_ he realized with a grin. Whatever was at the source of this signal had to be powerful, and important. And that made it all the more tempting to him. _'Looks like I have two targets now.'_

* * *

 **Cut off from their sisters, the Fog tries to rally against Hallelujah and strike a decisive blow. Meanwhile, a secret kept from even the other Mental Models is threatened as the battle is brought to Yokosuka.**

 **Next Chapter; My Enemy**

 **When faced with a common threat, the past must be put aside.**

* * *

 **A/N; first, I'm sorry if this felt a little late. I've been trying to find alternate sources for the next world so I don't have to go through the anime with a pen and paper, and I've had little luck in that regard.**

 **Also, I feel like I need to address BrokenLifeCycle's comment, cause it does illustrate an interesting point. The reason for the power imbalance between my MC and the ELS is, frankly, intentional at the moment. He's alone, under-equipped and still not entirely aware of what he's actually fighting against. Meanwhile, the ones controlling the ELS have access to GN technology, the means to reproduce it and the ability to add new technology whenever they see fit. Their power in this particular universe is a unique thing, thanks mostly to the fact that the major native power is a race of artificial people using quantum computers and communications. I won't pretend to know if that actually operates in the same way as the 'Quantum Waves' that the ELS use, but it makes sense that they would.**

 **To make my point, and avoid a long-winded explanation; there will be a point where Avalon gets better at fighting them without ridiculous luck, I promise. It just probably won't happen in this particular world.**


	9. Chapter 9

**My Enemy**

The last couple of days had been difficult for the Blue Steel. They had made it to Yokosuka with just enough time for Takao to find a landing spot and switch the Container to emergency power. Their one saving grace was that the personnel at the base still remembered them as the ones that had fought off two Fog cruisers, so they received a warm welcome. They also discovered that they had, in fact, stored the nano-material from Iona's duplicate. Iona and Takao quickly put it to use in repairing the damage to the 401, focusing on the vital systems and moving out from there. The rest of the crew took this time to try and recover from several hectic days. Iori was rushed to the nearest hospital almost as soon as they had tied off, and Shizuka had gone along with her to keep them apprised of her condition.

Meanwhile, Gunzou, Kyouhei and Sou were left to mind their two tag-alongs while the repairs were made. At first, they had debated just dropping them off at the nearest island and letting their comrades pick them up. But after the way that battle had ended, they hadn't relished the idea of leaving the two of them in such danger. Explaining where they had come from had been an experience on its own, and it was only after making it clear that Iona could shut them down at any time that they were allowed to leave the confines of the dock.

However, in spite of the relatively good luck they'd had since arriving, there was still a more somber mood hanging over them. Matters didn't improve when the JTN came under attack, causing all four Mental Models considerable pain until they combined their processing power to defend themselves. When the order came down to cut their connection, none of them hesitated for a moment to do just that. But Gunzou knew that they could only go so long before everything that had happened would push them too far, even with the Mental Models. It was the clearest with Takao, since she now rarely spoke with anyone more than necessary. It was a complete flip in her personality, and Gunzou found it troubling. Finally, he decided to confront her about it, regardless of what might happen.

It was evening on their fifth day at the port, and he and Sou had been drafting tentative plans to try and complete their original task. He found her sitting on a crate and looking out at the now repaired defensive wall, but that wasn't the most surprising thing about the entire scene. As he got closer, he could see that her shoulders were trembling, and he thought he could hear soft gasps coming from her.

"…Takao?" he asked, stopping a couple feet away from her. The way that she suddenly stiffened up told him that she hadn't heard his approach.

"C-Captain, what are you doing here?" she asked, trying to control the tremor in her voice.

"I've come to see how you were doing," he replied as he finally walked up next to her. He didn't miss how she turned her head so he would see her face, but he could guess what she'd been doing before he'd arrived. "I know it's hard…losing someone you care about," he continued, "I wish there was something I could say to make it better, but…"

"…I… I just don't get it…" she said finally, looking down and clutching her leggings, "I didn't really know him that long. He even made it clear that he didn't care about my kind at all, and yet… He saved me when he could have easily left me behind, and he stood up for me when we met with Yamato…" Looking at her Captain, she decided she no longer cared about the tear streaks down her face. She needed to know. "Why?" she asked, "Why would he do that if he didn't care? And why do I feel this hurt over losing him?"

"…I don't think he ever hated you," Gunzou finally said, "Did he tell you anything about his home?"

"He said that his own people experimented with… _'Artificial life,'_ and that it nearly destroyed them," she said, hating the term. It made her feel like she was something less than what she was.

"…So, you think their battle was simply them trying to kill each other?" Gunzou asked, catching her attention, "This was back before you joined us, Takao. He told me something about his people's creations…"

* * *

" _They called themselves the 'Inovades,'" Avalon told Gunzou. The two of them were sitting on the shoreline near the Blue Steel's now former base, enjoying some chilled drinks and generally trying to unwind. "They liked to think they were completely superior to humans, and in a sense they were right," he continued, "They could pilot mobile suits far better than most humans, and they displayed an awareness that was kind of freaky at times. And yet…"_

"… _Something happened to change that, didn't it?" Gunzou guessed._

 _Nodding, he said, "They imbedded one of their own with Celestial Being to gather intelligence and sabotage us when the time was right. But, when the time came and she was ordered to turn… she didn't."_

"… _Why?"_

" _She fell in love," he answered simply, "With one of the Gundam Meisters. The two of them came to understand each other, and because of that she refused to turn on us. It was…surprising, to say the least. An Inovade, a being that should only ever view humans as inferior creatures, fell in love with one. I'm sure it made the other Inovades furious."_

" _So your people were able to reach an understanding with these Inovades?" Gunzou asked hopefully._

" _No, they didn't," he said, looking down, "She might have chosen us over them, but the others were completely devoted to their cause. We…were forced to kill them, in the end." Turning to Gunzou, he said, "That's why you and your crew are so important. You're trying to reach an understanding with the Fog. Even if they don't all come around, the fact that you're trying in spite of your history is…amazing."_

* * *

Looking back at Takao, Gunzou said, "He still believes in people understanding each other, and he was willing to die for that. I can't make your pain go away, but… Just know that he died to give us a chance. We can't afford to waste it, Takao."

He then turned and left her alone, having said all that he felt he could. In truth, he was the last person to console someone when they've lost something precious. He was still torn up over losing Kotono. Even though he knew on an intellectual level that there wasn't a thing he could have done, it didn't make it hurt any less. He was still trying to find the truth behind the fire that had killed her, even though it was incredibly slow going. But it was a promise he'd made to himself; he would discover the truth, no matter what it was.

Turning back to look out over the water, Takao thought about what her Captain had told her. She had been more attached to Avalon than she had thought, and a part of her knew what had forged that bond. For members of the Fog, their ship was essentially their primary body. Their Mental Models were useful for interacting with others and experiencing the world, but they still regarded their hulls as their real body. To trust that same ship to another was a considerable risk, and it spoke of immense respect and trust if they offered such a thing to another person.

She knew that Avalon didn't view his ship in the same way, but that didn't keep her from seeing it from her own kind's perspective. He'd given her his ship without hesitation, trusting her with a considerably powerful weapon as well as what was likely his only means of returning to wherever he'd come from. He probably hadn't intended it to be as long-term as it had become, but that didn't make it any less of a risk on his part.

Pulling her legs up, she rested her chin on her knees as she looked out over the water. "…Why?" she asked the open air after a time, "Why are you such a…?"

Her musing was cut short when the base alarm sounded. Shooting to her feet, she turned and hurried towards the 401's dock without even thinking. The humans around her were all scrambling to their stations, with several of them looking rather scared.

Stopping one, she asked, "What's going on?"

"Fog ships!" he replied, barely keeping his voice under control, "A whole fleet of them, and they're coming here!"

There were only two possible fleets that would be this close to Yokosuka, and she found that she would be fine with either one appearing. Either she would get a chance to avenge Avalon's death, or she would get to rip into Kongou for putting them in that position in the first place. When she finally reached the 401's dock, she saw that the crew wasn't rushing to get her in the water. Instead, they were talking among themselves with one or two of them looking out at the gates anxiously.

"What's going on?" she asked as she walked up, "We need to get this ship into the water before they launch an attack."

"That's just it," Kyouhei said, looking at her, "They're saying they're not here to fight. In fact, two of them are requesting permission to enter the port."

"…They're 'requesting permission?'" Takao asked, her shock turning into skepticism quickly, "Why would they ever do that? More importantly, who is it?"

"Kongou and one of her support ships," Gunzou said, looking thoughtful, "She's said that she will leave the rest of her ships outside their direct-fire range while they approach, so if it does become a fight we would only have to deal with two of them."

"And you're okay with this?!" she demanded, "After what she tried to do, and what she's cost us? Are they really going to just let her in?"

"If she really wanted in, we couldn't stop her," Sou told her, "The fact that she's even asking is unusual, considering what we know of her. Something must have changed."

"Maybe it's because they lost their Network?" Kyouhei guessed, looking at Takao and Iona.

While it was true that losing the Network had been a serious blow, Takao had been more than willing to sever her connection when things went to shit. Iona, on the other hand… No one had known that it was possible for a Mental Model to seem distracted, but it had happened with Iona. While it hadn't impacted her performance or abilities, they were all worried about what it might mean.

"Possibly," Gunzou commented, looking out over the water as the gates opened, "But I'm not sure that's the only reason."

Since none of them could offer another explanation, they just waited in silence as the two ships moved into the port. The support ship stopped about a dozen meters away from the docks while Kongou pulled up to one that could handle her hull. A ramp formed quickly from her nano-material before extending down to the pier, and it wasn't long before they saw someone walking down it. Since they were far enough away, none of them could tell who it was, but they all assumed it was Kongou. Seeing no reason to keep her waiting, Gunzou went to meet her. The rest of his crew fell in behind him, none of them willing to let their leader and friend face off with her alone.

But as they drew closer, they saw that it was in fact two people that had come down to see them, with a third standing at the top of the ramp and watching them from afar. His curiosity now thoroughly peaked, Gunzou refocused his attention on the two envoys only to notice something about them. First was that one of them was wearing a very familiar lab coat, and the second was that the other was clearly male and wearing some kind of suit. The second the white hair registered in his mind he felt some of the tension he'd been carrying evaporate, and he smiled as he came to a stop.

"Sorry I missed the rendezvous, Gunzou," Avalon said with a smirk, "I guess you could say I got delayed."

"I can see that," Gunzou replied before looking at Hyuuga's beaming smile, "You two have no idea how much grief you've caused-"

He was cut off as Takao abruptly walked past them and up to Avalon. She looked him up and down critically before moving to his side and then behind him. Avalon just watched her somewhat nervously as she examined every part of him.

"…Can I help you with something?" he asked.

"Yes, hold still," she replied.

 _*SLAP*_

"Ow! What the hell?!" he demanded, taking a step back.

"Just making sure you're real. Nano-material doesn't react the same to physical contact as flesh and blood," she said simply before…

 _*SLAP*_

"You just said-!"

"That was for leaving me behind!" she shouted, her calm vanishing completely before she hit him again, "That was for letting me think you were dead!" * _SLAP_ * "And THAT was for just being an idiot!"

"Takao, what the hell are you-?!" he began as he tried to back away, only to have her cut him off.

"What the hell were you even thinking?!" she demanded as she moved so she was still right in his face, "When did taking a Corrosive missile to the face become a good idea? Our Mental Models can barely do that without their ships supporting them, so what the hell made you think your fancy 'Gundam' could do it?! Are you completely brain-dead?!"

Bringing her hand back, she prepared to hit him again. Trying to back away, Avalon closed his eyes as he prepared for more pain to assault his still-healing body. But when her fist hit his chest, there was far less force behind it. Cracking one eye open, he saw that she was looking down.

"You just…you had to go and almost get yourself killed, didn't you?" she asked, her voice starting to tremble as she lightly hit him again, "You…after everything you've done…how could you…just up and leave?"

Seeing her reaction was, frankly, more painful than the slaps she'd given him. At that moment, she looked more human than he'd ever thought possible. What made it worse was he had a pretty good idea what she had been experiencing. In fact, he was willing to bet that he didn't look all that different when he first started down this path. And because he knew what she was feeling, he knew there was only one thing he could do.

"It's alright, Takao," he said, pulling her close as she started to cry, "It's okay, so just let it out."

* * *

After their moment on the dock, they made their way to one of the hangers for the port. Kongou had joined them by that point, looking at the crew of the 401 with unmasked disdain. Regardless of the situation they found themselves in, she clearly wasn't about to forgive and forget. Takao, on the other hand, had decided she wasn't about to let Avalon out of her sight again. While a part of him found it touching, he doubted that it would remain so for long.

"So, now what?" Kyouhei asked, looking at Avalon and then at Kongou, "I mean, I assume you have a reason for bringing the Second Oriental Fleet's flagship here. At least, I hope you do."

"Well, it's not so much a plan as it is a starting point for one," Avalon admitted, drawing everyone's attention, "That last fight, if we can call it that, showed that the Fog can't really stand against Hallelujah in a straight-up fight."

"Don't underestimate us, human," Kongou warned, "We're more than capable of dealing with threats on our own."

"If they thought and fought the same as you, then yes," he admitted, "But Hallelujah won't do that. He'll attack your weak points to make you vulnerable, and then he'll pick you off one at a time."

"And how do you know what he'll do?"

"Because it's what I would do in his place," Avalon replied before turning to address all of them, "Fighting him conventionally will just wear you out and give him more resources to work with. Likewise, we don't have the information necessary to attempt a surgical strike to take him out. For now, that leaves us with only one viable option; defense."

The silence in the room was rather oppressive, and Avalon could guess that they hadn't expected him to say that.

"…You mean our only option is to let him run wild?" Kyouhei asked, stunned and a little angry, "There's got to be another way, something we can use to hit back."

"The 401 isn't in any condition to fight, and neither is my ship or Gundam," Avalon told them, "Likewise, Kongou's task force is pretty much all she has at the moment. Hallelujah is likely out there replenishing his numbers by preying on the patrol ships, and God only knows what he's got now. Even if we knew where he was or where he was heading, which we don't, I seriously doubt we have the firepower to take him on. We need to recover our strength, but we also need to come up with a new means of fighting him."

"…You don't mean…?" Gunzou asked, already getting a feeling about where Avalon was going with this.

"It's our best shot," he replied.

"But we've never done something like that before. Where would we even get the crews?"

"Volunteers."

"Uh, hello?" Takao asked, getting their attention, "What the heck are you two talking about? Volunteers for what?"

Looking between each other, Avalon silently asked Gunzou for his approval. The boy was much better with naval tactics than he was, so he was really the only one that could realistically predict whether this gamble would work or not. After several long seconds, he gave a small nod.

"We equip Kongou's ships with human crews," Avalon said, causing Takao and Kongou to stare at him in shock.

"…What?" Takao asked, only for Kongou to shout over her.

"You would have me let _humans_ aboard Fog ships?!" she demanded, walking over to face him, "I thought this was going to be a simple exchange of information, not an attempt at a takeover!"

"Kongou, this is our-" Avalon began.

"No, enough!" she shouted, "I have allowed you to toy with me long enough! I will not just stand here and let you tarnish my people!"

"Then stand alone and die!" Avalon shot back, getting in her face, "You know as well as I do that your chances of defeating Hallelujah alone are almost zero! Your only option is working together with these people!"

"I will not submit myself to human control!" she exclaimed, her voice rising higher, "And I'm not about to risk all of the ships under my command just to save their pathetic species!"

"This isn't just about them! This planet is your home, too!" he shouted, "If we don't find some way to work together, then we're all going to die, Kongou! Is that what you want? Are you willing to let your entire race die because of your damned pride?!"

Grabbing his collar, she pulled him closer while hissing, "Now, listen here, you little-!"

"Stop it!" Hyuuga and Takao exclaimed at once, breaking the two of them out of their argument.

"You're just going to ignore everything he's saying because he's human?" Takao demanded, "After everything he's done? After he _saved your life?!_ "

"She's right, Kongou," Hyuuga agreed, "We may have the power to win, but we don't have the experience. Only the humans do, and if Avalon's right then we don't have the luxury of time."

"So you would just have the core of my fleet roll over and _accept_ human commands?!" Kongou fired back.

"That's not what I'm saying, damnit!" Avalon shouted, getting her attention again, "Damn, for someone so calm, you have one hell of a temper, you know?"

"Get to the point."

"I was suggesting working _with_ humanity," he clarified, "Not submitting to them. They have the experience, and you have the firepower. You've already seen the kind of damage our two people can do when they work together, despite your best efforts to kill us. It's your best bet to score any kind of victory against Hallelujah." Looking to the rest of them, he added, "Of course, this plan only works if we actually have people willing to crew Fog ships."

"I may know someone who can help with that," Gunzou offered, "It will take some time for them to get here, though."

"That's fine," Avalon replied, "A few days shouldn't make any difference. I hope."

At that, their little meeting broke up. Kongou went back to inform the other Mental Models about Avalon's proposal. Truth be told, he wasn't expecting much more than shock and outrage on their part. Despite the enemy they now faced, the Fog's entire purpose was to lock humanity out of the oceans. If they accepted this, even temporarily, they would be breaching their core principals. And while Avalon was sure there were Mental Models out there like Takao, Hyuuga and Iona who were willing to work together with humans, he sincerely doubted that they would find many more of them here.

After walking outside, Avalon saw that the Exia had been offloaded onto the docks and that the supply ship was moving for deeper water. How it had gotten the machine off by itself, and gotten it into a standing position, he didn't know. He also didn't really care, because it was good seeing it in one relative piece again. The damage from the previous battle had been repaired using nano-material, but you wouldn't be able to tell where the E-carbon ended and said material began. There were, however, still a few problems they had yet to work out.

"Takao?" Avalon called out, turning to look for her.

"Yes?" she asked, startling him since she'd been right behind him.

"Damnit, don't do that," he said, putting a hand over his heart as he tried to calm it down.

She just smirked at him, saying, "Consider this more payback. Anyway, whatcha need?"

"I need you to open the Assault Container," he said as he turned and started walking towards the Exia, "Hopefully there's still enough power to do that."

"So, you were able to fix this big guy, huh?" she asked as she followed, looking up at the Exia as she felt something strange. Her first impressions of the machine might not have been the best, but it was starting to grow on her.

"Kind of," he replied, "The physical damage was relatively easy, considering it was repaired with nano-material. But, the rest…" Scratching his head, he tried to find the right way to phrase this so it wouldn't set Takao off. "When I was…shot down," he said carefully, "It damaged a number of the computer systems, as well as triggering the fail-safes. In the event that the Gundam is taken down intact, it will erase its operating system and on-board memory. It'll work, to an extent, as long as it's kept on the ground. But advanced maneuvers, flight and combat are out of the question until I restore those programs."

"And the Assault Container carries back-ups for just such a reason, doesn't it?" she guessed, smirking at him when he looked back, "Relax, I didn't waste power poking around in the systems. I was just guessing."

"Well, you're right," Avalon said as he stopped at the Exia's foot, "It's also the reason that I don't have a shield, or my GN blades. The data to build them is on the Container, so we're going to need some more time to bring it back to 100%."

"Alright, then what?"

"What do you mean, 'then what?'" he asked, turning to face her fully, "We get whatever volunteers we can and try to piece together an actual fleet."

"I mean what's next with you?" she clarified, crossing her arms, "If you tell me you're going to face that guy again, alone, then we're going to have problems."

"What are you talking about?"

"In case whatever the hell happened made you forget; the last time you went up against that guy, he took you apart with almost no effort," she explained, "I'm not about to let that happen again."

"Takao, I don't have time for this," he said as he turned and grabbed the boarding cable, "Just get the Container ready."

"Avalon, I'm not-!" she began before he was pulled up towards the open hatch.

Growling in frustration, she decided to turn and do as he'd asked. She'd play along with him for now, but she was already laying her own plans. Thinking she'd lost a friend once was bad enough, so she wasn't about to _actually_ lose him now. The second that thought crossed her mind, she stopped in her tracks.

' _Since when did I consider him a friend?'_ she wondered, glancing back at the Exia. He'd already boarded the machine and closed the hatch, the eyes lighting up briefly before the machine turned and slowly walked towards the Container. Shaking her head, she pushed those thoughts away for now. There were things they needed to do if they were going to put together a fleet.

* * *

As it turns out, it was a bit harder than they'd first thought. Kongou wasn't about to order her subordinates to accept this course of action, so they would only be able to crew the ships that volunteered for it. There was also the small matter of transferring Haguro and Ashigara back to Kongou. Unfortunately, they lacked the facilities to fabricate new ships for them quickly, so they were forced to pair up with Nachi and Myoukou to act as support. More problems arose as the rest of the Fog task force entered the port, with two ships in particular causing issues.

The first was Ise, who upon docking insisted on speaking with her 'dear sister' alone. Both Gunzou and Avalon shot her proposal down without a second thought. And while Avalon wasn't entirely sure what Gunzou's reasons were, he knew that the feeling he was getting from her did not sit well with him. He'd also heard enough about her from Hyuuga to know what she was likely to do given half the chance, and he wasn't about to give her even that much.

"If you have something to say to her, you can say it to all of us," Avalon stated, looking at Ise with barely masked contempt.

"It is a private matter," she replied simply, smiling sweetly, "If you're worried about me trying to harm her, I assure you that-"

"You're going to try and shame her into rejoining the Fog," he guessed, cutting her off, "You don't approve of her fascination with machines, or her attachment to Iona. Furthermore, you don't want her associating with humans, since it's not what you were 'made to do.' So, you're going to use a mix of sweet words, veiled threats and guilt to leverage her back into your fleet."

The silence was deafening as everyone looked at Avalon in shock. Even Ise was stunned by what he'd said, mostly because he hadn't been that far off the mark. For his part, Avalon had been relying on his new sense. He was starting to get an idea of how it worked, and as such he found that he was more easily able to gauge the people near him. Because of this, Ise was inadvertently irritating him more than she realized. She might appear sweet and carefree on the surface, but Avalon somehow just knew there was something else behind her motives. He suspected she wanted her sister back where it was only the two of them and the Fog, regardless of Hyuuga's feelings on the matter. And if he was right, then she was the kind of selfish that Avalon could barely stand.

"I can appreciate you wanting your sister to be safe," Gunzou said after a while, stepping between his crew and Ise, "But whether or not Hyuuga leaves is _her_ choice. And so long as she's a part of my fleet, I won't allow someone to harm her. I promise you that."

"I'm sure," she replied coolly, "But you cannot guarantee her safety all of the time, now can you?"

"Neither can you," Avalon shot back, "Even if we beat Hallelujah, the fact remains that humanity is steadily closing the gap with your people. Even if the Vibration Warhead proves ineffective, they'll keep going until they can match you in battle. As things stand now, another war between humanity and the Fog is inevitable."

"And it will end just as quickly as the first," she assured him, "We are also changing, after all."

"And because of those changes, three of your own are with the Blue Steel," he pointed out, "On top of that, you have the Scarlet Fleet in Europe. You really think your numbers won't continue to drop as more and more ships find people to pair up with?"

The glare she gave him was practically scathing, and after a moment she opened her mouth to retort. This _human_ had gotten away with a lot, but mocking her, personally, was not something she was prepared to allow.

"It's alright, Captain, Avalon," Hyuuga said suddenly, getting their attention, "I will talk with her." Upon seeing the look of triumph in her sister's eye, she added, "But let me be clear, Ise; I am Lady Iona's support processor. I am a part of Captain Gunzou's team, and that will not change unless my Lady wishes it to."

For a moment, Ise considered pressing the issue. Leaving her beloved sister in the hands of humans was absolutely unacceptable to her. But… looking between the three of them, she saw that there was no way she was going to convince Hyuuga to return to the Fog. At least, not now. But that was fine; she could play the long-game, too.

The second problem was one Avalon had to face relatively alone. The Container hadn't had enough power remaining to open up and receive his Gundam, so he, Hyuuga and Takao had been forced to create a temporary conduit to connect the two machines. After setting the GN drive to normal output levels, he watched as the Container's storage tanks gradually began to fill again. Within a few minutes, they were able to remove the cable and dock the Gundam properly, allowing for a more efficient transfer of GN particles. It was as he and Takao were leaving the Container to go talk with the others that he was faced with a new Mental Model.

He'd heard about her once in passing, and he'd assumed that she would have returned to her own fleet after the battle with Hallelujah. Clearly, that wasn't the case, since he now found himself facing Takao's sister. The only notable difference between the two was that her hair was shorter and had a pair of red bows in it. He hadn't heard a word about her beyond her name, so he could only guess where this would go.

"So… Atago, wasn't it?" he began, only to have her walk right up and stare at his face intently.

"Atago, what are you doing?" Takao asked, looking at her sister with concern.

Atago just ignored her as she proceeded to examine Avalon much in the same way that Takao did when they arrived at the port. The similarity wasn't lost on him, and he had to wonder just how alike the two Mental Models were.

"So," she said finally, coming to a stop before him and placing her hands on her hips, "You're the man that stole my sister from me."

"Huh?" he asked, now completely lost.

"Atago!" Takao shouted, a blush already starting to form, "That isn't-! He's not-! You have this all wrong!"

"Do I?" she asked, turning to regard her sister, "Gunzou may have been the one to turn you, but _this one_ is clearly the only reason you're still with these humans."

"Hey, I'm right here," he said, starting to get annoyed.

"Be quiet," she commanded, glancing at him, "This doesn't involve you, human."

"I'm feeling pretty involved," he shot back, "And I'm not keeping your sister against her will."

"Then explain why she hasn't left your side since we arrived, human," Atago demanded, crossing her arms and looking at both of them expectantly.

"We-well…" he began before scratching his head, "…I don't know."

"…What?"

"What?!" Takao added, looking at him in shock, "You really don't know?!"

"Well, how can I?" he asked, "I have my assumptions, but unless you actually tell me then how can I know?"

"I…You… Arghh!" she screamed before turning and walking away, "And I was just starting to like you, too!"

"…What the hell did I do to deserve this?" Avalon asked aloud, looking up at the sky.

"…Clearly she's not as attached to you as I thought," Atago noted, "Perhaps there's still hope to save her from your depravity."

"My what?!"

"It's clear that the only reason you and Gunzou are gathering Mental Models is because we've taken a female form," she stated, "I'm not about to allow my sister to become your toy, human, so I hope you're prepared for a fight."

"I…you… What?" he asked, now completely lost. Where in the hell did this girl get _that_ idea from?

Before their argument could continue, Avalon noticed Iona passing them by. He also noticed that she didn't look good, which was odd since he was sure they couldn't get sick.

"Hey, Iona!" he called out, quickly walking over, "Are you alright?"

"I'm not done with you, human!" Atago stated as she followed.

"…Avalon…?" Iona asked, looking up from where she was leaning on the railing, "I don't…"

"Iona, what's wrong?" he asked, quickly putting an arm behind her for extra support.

The moment he did, her grip on the railing failed and she fell backward. He caught her easily before easing her to the ground. Now that he could take a closer look at her, he saw that she did in fact look feverish. _'But, they're artificial,'_ he thought, confused, _'They don't get sick.'_

"Iona? Hey, Iona!" he called out, trying to keep her awake.

"…Avalon," she said again, barely opening her eyes as she looked up at him, "…He knows…"

"Knows what?" he asked, now thoroughly confused, "Who knows what?"

"…Hallelujah … _knows_ ," she said again, "He's…coming…"

With that, her eyes closed again and she was out.

"Iona! Don't do this, come on!" he shouted before picking her up, "We need to get her to the others."

"What was she saying?" Ataog demanded as she followed, "What does your enemy know?"

"I don't know, but it can't be good."

* * *

 **Backed into a corner and still recovering, the Blue Steel and Kongou are forced to make difficult choices. And while the fleet is assembled, Avalon faces his own internal struggle.**

 **Next chapter; Trust**

 **When facing mutual destruction, what will you choose to save?**


	10. Chapter 10

**Trust**

Iona lay on one of the tables inside the same building where Avalon had proposed his idea to the others. Unlike before, only he, Hyuuga, Gunzou and Kongou were present. While the two boys waited and watched, Hyuuga had her hands to either side of Iona's head. Both of their faces were lit up with Fog symbols as the former Flagship examined her treasured friend. Kongou, meanwhile, was pacing back and forth on the other side of the table from them. She was clearly agitated by this latest development, and no one could really blame her.

None of them had any idea what was affecting Iona, and that not knowing had led to speculation. One of the others had suggested it could be the work of a virus that Hallelujah had implanted in them before they severed their connection to the JTN. While it was pure speculation, the prospect of suddenly falling unconscious had unsettled many of them. Privately, Avalon was hoping it was something as simple as that. Iona's words were still gnawing at him, and he suspected that there was a far different reason for her current condition.

After what felt like a small eternity, Hyuuga suddenly cried out in pain before leaping back from the table. The only thing that kept her from stumbling and falling was Gunzou's reflexes as he caught her. Taking a few deep breaths, she pressed one hand to her temple as the Fog symbols on her face faded.

"Thank you…Captain," she said after a while, looking at him and smiling.

"Are you alight?" he asked, receiving a nod.

"I am," she said as she stood up straight, "But…Iona…"

"What's wrong with her?" Kongou demanded, her patience already pushed to the breaking point.

"…She's…exposed," Hyuuga finally told them.

"Uh, no, she's not," Avalon commented, gesturing to her, "All of her clothes are still on."

His attempt to lighten the mood failed spectacularly as Hyuuga shot him a glare, and Avalon wisely took the hint and stopped with the jokes.

"She's still connected to the JTN," Hyuuga explained as she finally seemed to recover, "I don't know how, or why, but a lot of information is being exchanged between her and the remnants of the Network. Far more than what we usually experience."

"Is it dangerous?" Gunzou asked, looking at Iona in concern.

"It would hamper her abilities, but that's not what's wrong," she replied, "She's still _connected_ , Captain. That means that anyone else still using the Network can find her. And now that most of the Fog has severed their connection…"

"Hallelujah can track her easier," Gunzou surmised, understanding the danger his friend was in, "Can he corrupt her?"

"I'm not sure."

"Why don't we just force her to severe the connection?" Kongou asked, looking at the two of them, "Even if she's technically your superior, you're still a flagship-class Model. Between the two of us, we could override her and force her to disconnect."

"You would just… You would do that?" Avalon asked, appalled.

"If that man hasn't pin-pointed our location yet, then it's only a matter of time," she shot back, "As you've said; it's a matter of survival."

"I…already tried that," Hyuuga admitted, catching both boys by surprise, "But I was stopped. There was…another layer of security around her, focused solely on her connection to the Network. The moment I tried to alter her access, it shut me out. I didn't even have a chance to from a counter, it just…shut me down."

"How's that possible?" Avalon asked, now thoroughly lost, "You've got to have one of the strongest processors outside of the Supreme Flagship, so how can something just shut you down without a fight?"

"I don't know…" Hyuuga admitted, looking unsure and possibly a little scared, "But it's keeping her connected to the Network, so it's only a matter of time before Hallelujah finds her…and us."

"Then we need to speed up our own plans," Avalon decided standing up and clasping his hands. Turning to Kongou, he asked, "Where are we with volunteers?"

"Two ships have said they are willing to try letting humans aboard," she replied, "Which is two more than I had expected."

"…Two ships?" Avalon asked before sighing, "Did you, or did you not, explain to them the situation we're in?"

"I did."

"…It was your take on it, wasn't it?"

"Are you accusing me of something, human?" she asked hotly.

"I don't know, are you guilty of something?" Avalon shot back, causing Hyuuga and Gunzou to sigh. The two of them could never seem to hold any kind of conversation without an argument starting.

"I will not apologize for wanting to protect my subordinates!" she replied, taking a step forward, "I made it clear from the start; you _will not_ be taking control of us. Your crews will be there in a support capacity _only_. Is that clear?"

"Support only? Are you-!" Avalon began before taking a breath and stopping himself. He wasn't going to win this argument here, not now. Turning to Gunzou, he asked, "How are we with the human volunteers?"

"A lot more people seem willing to give it a shot than I'd thought," he replied, "But there's an… issue we need to address first."

"Oh great, more good news," Avalon muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose, "And what is this one?"

"Commander Ryoukan and Secretary Ryuujirou want to meet with us before the crews get to work," Gunzou told him, looking at Kongou briefly, "They say that, regardless of the circumstances, they have…conditions for working with the Fog."

"They think they can demand things from us?" Kongou asked, appalled.

"Kongou, enough," Avalon said before she could continue, "I'll work this out when they arrive. In the meantime, where does this leave us with the 401?"

"…That's another problem," Hyuuga said as she stood back up, "Iona is still registered as the controller for the ship, and she didn't have the time to give me the proper access to control it independently of her. Unless she regains consciousness soon, we won't be able to use it."

"So, we're down another ship?" Avalon asked before running his hand through his hair and sighing, "Things just keep getting better and better, don't they?"

"It could be much worse, Avalon," Gunzou told him.

"How?" he asked, waving his arms around to emphasis his point, "How could this _possibly_ get worse? Iona is down for the foreseeable future, my Gundam still hasn't been fully restored, Hallelujah probably knows where we are and is on his way, Kongou's still being a stubborn mule over this whole concept of an alliance-"

"I resent that!" Kongou interrupted, glaring at him.

"- _And_ we still don't know if anyone on our side is even _willing_ to take up our offer and try to fight back," he concluded, shooting a glare right back at her, "They've lost their Tactical Network, and we've lost almost all of the big guns in our arsenal. From where I'm standing, we're screwed in almost every sense of the word."

"We're still alive," Gunzou countered, placing one hand on Hyuuga's shoulder as she looked at Iona in concern. Feeling his hand, she looked at him and gave him a small smile. "We still have our crew," he continued, "And we still have our will to fight. If Hallelujah wants to take Iona and the others, then he will have to go through us first."

"Without a doubt, Captain," Hyuuga agreed, her smile growing broader.

Looking at the two of them, Avalon put his head in his hand as he tried not to groan. Why was it he always seemed to encounter hopeless optimists? But as tiring as they could be, he still found their optimism helpful and encouraging.

"…You people are hopeless fools," Kongou concluded before turning and leaving, "I do not know why I continue to entertain this idea of an alliance."

"Kongou, wait!" Gunzou called out, only for her to ignore him.

Looking after her retreating form, Avalon decided then and there that he would need to resolve this problem long before Hallelujah arrived. Even if they pulled together some kind of fighting force, in their current state they would just fall apart once things got bad. And he had no doubt that if they didn't find some way to stop him here, then very little would be able to stand in Hallelujah's way.

* * *

Taking a moment to prepare himself, Avalon adjusted the gloves for his uniform to make sure the metal of his hand was hidden. As nice as the suit he'd gotten from Kongou's forces was, and that was a surprise all on its own, he much preferred the Celestial Being uniform. And he would need as few distractions as possible, considering what he was about to do.

The volunteer crews had arrived a couple hours after Iona's incident, and there had been more people than he'd thought. What was even more surprising was that there were many from the regular Army that had been cross-trained in basic seamanship. From what he'd been told about Gunzou's interaction with the Japanese army, they were hostile towards the Fog on principal. To have a decent number of them sign up for this was unexpected, but that wasn't his main concern at the moment.

Secretary Kamikage Ryuujirou and Commander Kita Ryoukan had indeed shown up as they had said, which was both good and bad news. The latter of the two made him somewhat nervous, since he hadn't heard many good things about him. If he remembered right, Kita was the one that had authorized the raid on the Blue Steel's base. Had Gunzou not been as prepared, then he would have likely succeeded in seizing the 401.

Whether or not he personally felt animosity towards the Fog wasn't the problem anymore, since he'd come to symbolize the fear and hate humanity had towards them. Jumping to conclusions and killing children just to reclaim one ship was not how Avalon had been taught to fight, and it was something he would need to demonstrate to the others. And then there was the problem of Kongou and her subordinates.

Only Nachi and Myoukou had volunteered to allow humans aboard their ships, but only the bare minimum necessary to take a load off their processors. This left them with a large number of potential sailors without a ship, and that was before he took the blatant mistrust the Fog was showing into account. He knew, he just _knew_ that Kongou had only passed along the bar minimum of information regarding his proposal. Chalk it up to his Sense, or experience, or just a good old-fashioned gut feeling, but he knew that she wasn't putting the kind of effort into this that they needed.

While a part of him could understand the feelings both sides had for each other, it was clear that they still didn't fully grasp the situation they were in. That, in and of itself, was infuriating since he'd assumed the Fog was smarter than that. Although, he should have seen this arrogance coming now that he thought about it, considering how Yamato acted towards others. The Fog had been the dominant power until recently, and even in the face of a real threat their assumption of natural superiority was still there.

"This can't continue," he mumbled as he turned to walk outside.

"Trying to psych yourself up?" Takao asked from where she was leaning next to the door.

"You could say that," Avalon said before stopping with his hand on the handle. Turning to Takao, he asked, "Takao, do you trust me?"

"What kind of question is that?" she asked, confused, "After everything you've done for me, why wouldn't I trust you?"

"Because I'm about to walk out these doors and make what is probably the biggest gamble of my life," he replied, looking down, "I don't think they realize what they're facing, not really. If we can't stop him here, then this planet is doomed."

"That's a little morbid, don't you think?" she asked, standing upright and turning to face him, "Even if we don't win, the other fleets aren't just going to sit around and wait."

"Takao, it's just…" he began before sighing, "Never mind, let's just do this."

Pushing the door open, Avalon walked out into the evening light and examined everyone that had gathered. To his left were the human crews, milling about and talking among themselves while more than a few shot looks towards the group on his right. Looking right, he saw that Takao had indeed gathered all of the other Models for this impromptu meeting. Between them was the Blue Steel, talking with a couple of the human volunteers but generally looking uneasy. The one shred of good news they had was that Iori had been discharged from the hospital not too long ago. In spite of the toxins she'd been exposed to, it appeared that Haguro and Ashigara had acted in time to keep her from receiving a lethal dose.

Of course, what little good mood had come from her were return was likely to get shattered with what Avalon was planning to do. Of course, the word 'plan' was really generous considering it was more of an outcome he needed to achieve, he just hadn't really worked out the _how_ yet. But considering how things were going, they probably didn't have long to do much of anything. They needed to start working together _now_ , because he was willing to bet that they didn't have much more than a week before Hallelujah was knocking on their front door.

"Kongou," he called out, waving her over.

With a grimace, she decided she would humor him for now. While she couldn't grasp his reasons for having them all gather together, she was starting to learn more about their kind as a result. This had only made her more conflicted and untrusting of their species, considering that each and every one of them was somehow unique. She was also starting to realize that this uniqueness was the source of humanity's divisions, and if that was the fate of her kind on their current path then she was going to do all she could to oppose it. The Fog was One people, united by the Admiralty Code. They could squabble as much as they wanted so long as that didn't change, but she suspected that this course would do just that.

"What are you planning, human?" she asked as she stopped before him.

Ignoring her, he asked, "You still regard humanity as your enemy, right?"

"…Why wouldn't I?" she replied, now confused, "Even with this 'Hallelujah,' _your_ people are still a threat to my kind. You might not be able to challenge our power, but your influence is spreading like a disease. I assure you that once this matter is concluded, I will take steps to correct that."

"So, I am your enemy," he said, lowering his head briefly. Moving quickly, he reached forward and grabbed her wrist with one hand while the other went to the base of his back.

"What are you-?!" she began. Ignoring her, Avalon brought her hand up before forcing his handgun into it and pointing it right at him. At the same time, he was looking her in the eye with a kind of determination she'd never seen before.

"Avalon, what are you doing?!" Takao demanded as she started to move forward.

"If I am your enemy, then shoot me," he said evenly without breaking eye contact.

"I don't know what game you're playing, but-!" Kongou started to say as she pulled back.

"If I am really your enemy, then it is your duty to shoot me, _machine_!" he shouted, quieting everyone else with his declaration, "If you really are just machines of war, then it is your _purpose_ to kill your enemy! So, do it, Kongou of the Fog! Shoot me!"

"You think I'm going to play along with this and jeopardize our deal?"

"What deal?!" he demanded, waving his hands at both sides, "Your kind don't trust mine, and they clearly don't trust you! This isn't a fighting force, this is a disaster waiting to happen! If you're not willing to trust them, if you're not willing to _work with them_ , then you might as well just kill us all now. Death is all we can expect if we go into a fight like this. So come on, do it!" Stepping closer so the barrel was pressing against his chest, he said, "Do it, Kongou, and prove to me that you're all just machines. That's all you want to be, isn't it? None of you care about learning what it means to be a _people_ , to be _individuals_. You're all just puppets serving a pointless code."

" _Watch your tongue, brat!_ " Kongou shouted, raising the gun so it was pointing between his eyes, "The Admiralty Code is our highest law! It is our reason to exist!"

"And look where that's gotten you!" he fired back, "You're bitter, divided and ultimately without an actual _goal_ to achieve! Your 'code' might have been a great starting point, but where is it now when you need it most?! All you have are each other and those that are _trying_ to help you survive, but you're still clinging to something that _isn't here_!"

Spreading his arms so he'd have no chance at retaliating, he said, "So if you're all just going to sit there and let fear and hate rule you, then just do it. I've seen people die from ELS infections, and I'd rather be shot than suffer like that. So just do it, kill me and be done with it. God knows I probably deserve it."

Looking at him, Kongou seriously weighed her options while she tried to not let his words sway her. This had to be a bid to appeal to her emotions, and if that was the case then it wouldn't work. She was determined not to let it work…and yet…

And yet, she couldn't deny that, behind all of the odd jokes and arguments, he had a point. She couldn't face this threat alone. Maybe if she had her entire fleet with her, she would be able to pummel this Hallelujah into atoms. But she didn't, and even if she set out to gather her forces there was no telling how long that could take or if Hallelujah would attack her before she could. And if his fleet wasn't bound by the Admiralty Code, then there was nothing stopping them raiding the human cities for supplies.

As much as it pained her to admit it, Avalon was right; if they didn't make a stand here and now, then this enemy could really take this world. And their only way of challenging him would be together, and not in the way that she would prefer.

"…You're really willing to die for this?" she asked finally, feeling something strange as she looked at this human.

"I told you before, Kongou… My world is gone," he replied, relaxing slightly even if his eyes did cloud over a bit, "I don't have anything else to lose _but_ my life. If that's what it takes, if I'm what's stopping you from really trusting humanity, then… just do it."

For the briefest of moments, she considered just that. Taking a firm grip on the gun, she pressed it to his head while she heard everyone, Mental Model and human alike, inhale in anticipation. For what felt like the first time since they'd met, she held the only power that mattered. He'd actually _handed_ it to her, and he was showing no signs of trying to take it back. And yet…she discovered she didn't want to. She couldn't lose more sisters to this monster, and she wasn't sure she could stomach having to destroy the ones they had already lost. If this man, and his people, could help them end this, then wasn't it worth it?

Finally, she lowered her arm before switching on the safety for Avalon's sidearm. Turning it around, she held it up for him to take back. "We don't have the time for this, Avalon," she said as he accepted the weapon, "You…are right. We can't afford to become divided now. And if that means that I must…trust your people to help us…then so be it." Before he could say anything, she raised her hand and pointed at him, saying, " _But_ , I will only agree to ally with you for this battle. Once Hallelujah is dead and gone, there are no promises. Do you understand me?"

"…I suppose I can live with that," he replied as he holstered his weapon again. Hearing footsteps off to the side, he turned to see that Kita and Kamikage had approached them.

"…I never thought I'd see the day," Kita said, looking at Avalon and then at Kongou, "Even with the 401 and its crew, I never really thought I'd watch one of our own put themselves on the line for something like this."

"It's not as great as you seem to think it is, old timer," Avalon replied, allowing himself a humorless smirk, "We just don't have the luxury of, well, _anything_ right now. It's either work with them or die."

"So, this enemy really is as dangerous as Gunzou made it out to be?" Kamikage asked.

Nodding, Avalon invited them back inside. There were, after all, other things that they would need to work out before they really started building this fleet. Watching them, Gunzou couldn't help but smile. Whether or not Avalon realized it, he'd done something incredible. Kongou was wildly considered a traditionalist among the Fog, so getting her to concede to _any_ kind of change was a challenge on its own. Even if they went back to being enemies after this, things would undoubtedly change because of his resolve.

"Things will be different once this is done, won't they?" Sou asked his Captain, although it was more of a statement than a question.

"Without a doubt," Gunzou replied as they followed the others inside, "Regardless of where this battle takes us, things will change."

* * *

"…You did _WHAT?!_ " Avalon demanded, glaring murder at an unapologetic Hyuuga.

It had been less than a full day since their meeting to formalize what was being called the Yokosuka fleet. Avalon had privately wanted a flashier name, considering how significant this was. Even just using 'Blue Steel' as the name would have worked for him, but it had been agreed that they couldn't assume relations would stay cordial once this battle was done. Besides, it was highly likely that the fight would take place somewhere near the port city, so it had made sense.

Once the ball had started rolling, Avalon had stepped out since his knowledge on naval matters was basic at best. He'd returned to the Assault Container and collapsed into his bed gratefully, completely drained after everything he'd dealt with. Of course, fate had to prove that it had a vendetta against him, since when he woke up the next morning it was to an unpleasant surprise from Hyuuga.

"I just thought it'd give you better protection is all!" she protested, sitting calmly in a reconstructed version of her capsule, "I don't see what the big problem is, anyway. It's not like I changed the entire design. I even rebuilt the big sword from your records, so what exactly is your problem?"

"My problem is that my Gundam doesn't have the processing power to handle a system like that!" he shot back before sighing and face-palming, "Now my drive has to supply power to a system I can't use."

"Who said you couldn't?" Takao asked, appearing behind him only to pout slightly when he didn't jump in shock. Truth be told, she enjoyed those reactions.

"How about the fact that Klein fields are designed to work with Fog processors?" he asked, turning and looking at her, "And my Gundam certainly doesn't have one of those."

"It will when I'm aboard."

"Well, I don't see how…" he began before her words finally sank in, "…What?"

"I said I'm going to be with you in the Exia," Takao said simply, "You can focus on piloting and combat, while I'll keep an eye on the wider picture and manage the Klein field."

"Takao, _no_ ," he said somewhat forcefully, "Forget for a moment that I'm much more likely to get taken out than the ships. If Hallelujah, or any of his mobile suits, get a good hold on me then they're going to seed ELS material. I'm not exposing you, _any of you_ , like that."

"Well, that's just too bad, now isn't it?!" she demanded, walking up so she was in his space, "I guess I need to remind you of what happened during your last fight against that bastard, _again_ , don't I?!" Before he could try and interrupt her, she just continued as her voice steadily rose in volume. "We have no way to make new ships here, and without Iona conscious we can't even use her ship in this fight!" she shouted, "While Hyuuga might be willing to act as command and control in the back lines, I'm not about to let the rest of you go out there without me! I'm also not about to ride second-seat to one of Kongou's ships, and I sure as _hell_ am not letting you out of my sight again! So guess who that leaves me with, Avalon!"

Seeing the look in her eyes, he had no doubts that this was an argument that he would lose. The fact that she'd gone around him and convinced Hyuuga to install systems only a Mental Model could handle proved as much, and he was sure that it had been done on Takao's request. And while a part of him wanted to suggest that she could take the Assault Container again, he knew that wouldn't get him anywhere. Considering how bad this battle was likely to get, he couldn't risk his only means of orbital escape now. He was risking a lot just by taking the Exia out, so if he could potentially have better protection then…

"…I'm going on record and saying this is a bad idea," he said before turning back to look at Hyuuga, "Alright, what else has she convinced you to do?"

"Nothing I wasn't going to do myself," she replied as she gestured to the Exia's prone form, "I tweaked the solid swords to increase their efficiency, while also reinforcing them to better resist extreme temperatures. Your large sword also got a special upgrade, although I don't think you'll be able to use it much outside of your…what was that red mode called again?"

"The Trans-Am," Avalon replied as he walked up and placed one hand on the side of the Exia's head. Half of the machine might be made of nano-material now, but it still felt good having it back in one piece. Taking a moment to be thankful for that, he asked, "You didn't mess with the drive, did you?"

"I would need a proper understanding of its construction first," Hyuuga replied, somehow not sounding upset that she didn't, "Considering what's going to happen, I'd recommend taking this machine out for a test flight. I'm not sure if the addition of so much nano-material has thrown its balance off, so it could be worth it to get used to any changes now."

"I will, but first I need to check on someone," he said as he turned to leave.

"…Sister Iona hasn't woken up yet," Hyuuga informed him, looking down as she guessed his intentions, "As things are now, I don't think she will until we deal with Hallelujah. I'm guessing the Captain's considering Kongou's proposal?"

That, more than most things, had surprised Avalon. He never would have guessed that she'd offer to take the Blue Steel's crew on personally, giving them access to her systems in order to ease her own load. On the surface, it seemed to be a gesture of trust, but Avalon had his suspicions. He wouldn't put it past her to take them hostage after the battle and either deliver them to Yamato or barter them for concessions from the rest of them. Of course, there was still the possibility that she was sincere in her desire to win, and she recognized that Gunzou was likely their most capable leader for the fight. It only made sense to station him on one of their battleships, considering they had the strongest Klein fields.

But going so far as to at least appear to trust Gunzou to command her, or at least advise her, was not a decision he had seen coming. _'Maybe my little speech really_ did _have an impact,'_ he thought, remembering that the rest of Kongou's ships had also said they would take on crews. Even Kita had given his tentative approval for their temporary alliance, especially after Avalon laid out everything the ELS were capable of to him and the Secretary.

Now, the Mental Models were teaching the humans how to handle the systems they would need to, while the humans were pointing out aspects of seamanship and naval combat that the Mental Models lacked. Even if this partnership only resulted in an exchange of knowledge, he would consider that a plus.

"I'm willing to bet that he's going to accept," Avalon said after a moment, "If nothing else, it will give her the chance to get to know humans other than me."

"Yeah," Hyuuga agreed before smirking, "She really doesn't like you, does she?"

"The feeling's mutual," he said.

Taking a deep breath, he decided that rather than trying to find something to do he was just going to rest. Walking to one end of the Container, he sat down and leaned against the wall. Doing so jostled his left arm, and he felt a brief lance of pain because of it. After being sure the two girls were looking the other way, he reached up and gently massaged the area near the main plate. He'd been getting lances of pain on and off from the prosthetic ever since his defeat, and he was worried it meant something was really wrong. Bringing his left hand up, he slowly clenched it into a fist before opening it again. As he did so, the pain returned as a dull throb, and that just concerned him more.

"Something wrong?" Takao asked, noticing his look.

"Nothing important," he replied.

"Really?"

"Takao, I'm fine," he assured her as he lowered his arm, "Quit fussing, I'm not that fragile."

"Uh huh," she replied skeptically, but she left it at that.

Hyuuga, meanwhile, and seen him looking at his left hand, and she could guess what might have been bothering him. If his prosthetic was damaged, that could become a problem.

"Avalon, you should let me check your arm," she said as she floated over.

"It's alright, Hyuuga."

"Right, because the rest of you survived that explosion _so_ well," she shot back as she stepped down onto the metal. Before she could press the issue, however, the base alarms wailed.

They only hesitated for a moment, and then they were in motion; Hyuuga was moving for the nearest hatch that would take her outside while Avalon was running for his room to grab his pilot suit. Takao, meanwhile, had quickly brought up a diagnostic screen to check the Exia before she boarded it. They also all triggered their communicators, with Avalon beating them to the question.

"What is it?" he demanded as he skidded to a halt in front of the door.

"Multiple contacts at the extreme of our range," Shizuka replied. They'd broken down Iona's support ship the previous day before using it and other components to create another 'radar string' like the one they'd had at the Blue Steel's base. While Kongou had questioned the need of such a thing, Avalon was glad they'd done so. "I'm hearing at least five different engines," she continued, "One of them is a cruiser, I think."

"You think?" Takao asked, really not liking the uncertainty in the girl's voice.

"They're deploying interference, and it's messing with the acoustics," Shizuka told them, "Also, the number of contacts are-ARGGH!"

"Shizuka?!" Avalon demanded, stopping with his suit half-on.

"…I'm alright," she said, panting and sounding in pain, "…Multiple explosions. They just…they just _cut_ the wire. I'm blind."

"Upload their previous positions and headings," Gunzou requested, "All hands, to stations! This is it!"

Avalon hadn't known until that moment how much he was looking forward to hearing those words, or how much he dreaded it at the same time.

* * *

 **Forced onto the defensive, the newly created fleet throws all they have against Hallelujah's rebuilt forces. Meanwhile, Avalon faces his old friend once more in combat.**

 **Next chapter; Yokosuka**

 **Meisters clash as a world's future hangs in the balance.**

* * *

 **A/N; Alright, got this one out sooner than I hoped! Also, I feel like I should say something now so it's not as much of a shock later. There's a particular world that I'm going to need to use next that doesn't actually have a dedicated page on this site. Thankfully, I shouldn't need to spend much time in it, so folding it into another one won't be too bad. I hope. Anyway, this is a long-winded way of saying that this particular one won't end with him leaving this realm. There's going to be some time spent in another place before he jumps to that next world.**

 **That also means you'll get to see where he goes when he's not in a realm, and I'm looking forward to writing that. So, I hope you enjoy, and feel free to drop a comment. They're always nice to read, so long as you're not trying to be real hurtful.**


	11. Chapter 11

**Yokosuka**

Standing on the deck of his designated flagship, Hallelujah watched through the eyes of his forward scouts as they came upon the port city. The wall the human's had created was rather impressive, even if it could never keep the Fog out. He supposed it was probably more to make them feel safe rather than actually accomplish anything. And here he was about to forever break that illusion, and in a way that he doubted any of them would see coming.

"Calypso," he said, getting his scout's attention, "Let's show them how we say hello."

"As you say, Master," she replied. Her main tower split shortly after as she deployed her Graviton cannon, and as it charged she set her sights on their first target. _'It's time to show these fools who the real masters are,'_ she thought.

Back in the port, Gunzou was in the hanger with many of the staff that would be coordinating things from the rear. Hyuuga had used some of their leftover nano-material to fashion an impressive collection of computers and screens, and they had been in the process of linking that with the 402's systems. Since she was their only submarine, and her specialty was spying, they had decided to use her to image the battlefield and track the enemy. But they hadn't even gotten that far yet, not to mention deploying her and her small crew of four. She had only just accepted the data link while the gate was opening.

"Intense gravity waves detected," she said through several speakers, "The enemy cruiser is powering its Graviton cannon."

"Order all ships to raise their Klein fields," Gunzou told Kongou, who simply nodded, "They're likely going to try and breach the seawall, and we can't risk any losses now."

"Captain, I have eyes on the ship," 402 reported, getting his attention, "Its angle is too high to strike the wall."

"What?"

Before she could explain, Calypso fired. Her Graviton shot brushed over the top of the wall before continuing towards the city behind it. Buildings in its path were cut clean through as the energy continued on its way, smashing into one of the higher hills behind the city. The explosion rocked the ground, and Gunzou had to grab a nearby table to try and stay upright as what felt like an earthquake hit them. Rushing outside, he and Commander Kita both turned before gasping at the sight. Gunzou knew how powerful a cruiser's Graviton cannon could be, but he'd never seen it used on a land target before.

The cloud kicked up from the impact made it look like a small-yield nuke had gone off, and what was left of the hill was blazing red and orange. The blast wave swept over them a moment later, knocking the two men off their feet while blowing out the windows facing where the wave came from. Pushing himself up, Gunzou couldn't help but stare as the smoke continued to rise. He could only imagine the fires that had been ignited from the intense heat, not to mention just how many people were killed in that blast.

Avalon had told him multiple times that this enemy would not hold back. It would use everything it had to break their will before either destroying them or consuming them. While he'd understood that on an intellectual level, it was only when he watched Hallelujah break one of the Fog's core tenants that it really sank in; if they failed now, this city and all of its people would be at his mercy. The revelation shocked him like few things ever had. In fact, he hadn't felt this helpless since the day he'd lost Kotono. Before the stupor could keep him there for another moment, his earpiece crackled.

"Gunzou, what's going on?!" Avalon demanded, having remained inside the Container when he felt the blast, "What did they just do?!"

"They just…" he began as he slowly pushed himself up, "They _fired_ on the city…"

"Hey, get a grip!" Avalon shouted, startling him, "Get to Kongou's ship, and let's get out there! The sooner we engage them, the sooner they stop focusing on the civilians!"

"Right!" he replied before switching channels, "All ships, emergency launch! Hyuuga, have them open the gates when we get close!"

A resounding chorus of "yes, sir," sounded in his ear as both Mental Models and humans moved with a purpose. Lines were cast off and crews made final tentative checks of their systems as the ships slowly moved into formation. What mistakes were made were quickly corrected by the Mental Models, and soon enough they were moving for the gates.

Meanwhile, Commander Kita went back into the make-shift command center while dialing his phone. He might not be sailing into battle, but he still had an important job to do. After several seconds of waiting, he began issuing orders and mobilizing the military. Within minutes, they would begin evacuating the city starting with the areas around the port. He'd only even seen that kind of destruction around the time of World War II, and it had been bad enough then. He wasn't about to let this city become the next Hiroshima.

Walking onto Kongou's bridge, Gunzou noted that the rest of his crew was there except for Iori and Shizuka. Iori had, as usual, stationed herself in the engine room where she could monitor their power output. Shizuka, meanwhile, was aboard the 402 to assist in gathering and interpreting the enemy fleet's movements. Kongou stood to one side of a chair that was obviously meant for him, while Sou and Kyouhei manned two of the many control stations in the room. Sitting down, Gunzou was rather surprised when tactical displays surrounded him, and he glanced at Kongou in mild wonder.

"If you are going to be advising me, then you will need more information than your simple senses can gather," she told him before turning her attention to the battle.

Nodding in thanks, he began moving information around and sending out commands. A fast-moving blip caught his attention, and he turned in time to see the Exia fly past the ship. Its rebuilt greatsword glistened in the sun, and the new shield seemed shinier than the rest of the suit. Then he was past them, moving towards the front of their formation. While Gunzou had been against Avalon's insistence to be the lead unit, he'd made a good case for it. His Gundam was far more maneuverable than any of their ships could ever be, making it hard for them to shoot him down. At the same time, it stood a good chance of drawing out any mobile suits Hallelujah might have had, and if they could take those out then their chances would improve a bit.

As for Avalon, he found himself in an uncomfortable situation. When he'd finally boarded the Exia, he set about a rapid deployment. Maybe if he launched fast enough, he could leave Takao behind where she'd be relatively safe. Why she hadn't been in the hanger when he'd come back had slightly puzzled him, but he'd just assumed that she had gone to see what had blown up. But when the Container's hatch opened and the Gundam was moved into a standing position, he found out that he hadn't been that lucky.

"Going somewhere?" he heard as a new window appeared on his right-hand screen. Turning, he saw Takao standing in what could only be described as a data-scape.

"…You didn't," he began.

"Turn around," she told him, and he did. Behind his chair was a new device with a Mental Model's core in its center, and Avalon bit back an explosive curse when he realized that it could only be hers. "We talked about this, remember?" she reminded him.

"As I recall, it was you making a decree that I _didn't agree to_ ," he replied.

"Well, that's too bad," she said with a self-satisfied smirk, "I'm here now, so let's get on with this."

"…You're an idiot, you know that?"

"Probably because I've been around you for too long," she shot back as the clamps released, "You're good for launch."

"Thanks," he said sarcastically, "Never would have guessed that."

Then he pushed power into the thrusters, launching the Gundam at its best speed. Takao couldn't help but let out a "whoop!" as she felt the machine fly. She might have separated herself from the main controls, but she still felt what this machine did. And for that one moment, she was _flying_. Takao rocketed across the sky, staying low over the water as they quickly closed with Kongou's fleet. When they passed her ship, she spared a glance at her Captain, sitting in his command chair next to Kongou. For a moment, she felt a stab of jealousy that he wasn't using her ship, but it quickly faded as they passed by.

Once he'd reached the head of their formation, Avalon took a moment to look at 402's readings. Hallelujah had sent one of his cruisers with an escort ahead simply to probe them, and he was seeing the rest of his forces coming in behind them at rather high speeds. The scouting group was also continuing to sail for the port wall, and Avalon could only assume that he meant to do battle practically on top of the city. If they started trading blows at that distance, any stray shots would have serious consequences. They had to force them further out to sea, but turning and attempting to lead them away would just leave their backs exposed and the city defenseless.

Unknown to him, Gunzou was facing a similar predicament as he observed Hallelujah's deployment. It was very reminiscent of when he'd intruded on his battle with Kongou; blunt and rather obvious, but also effective in giving them very few options. Their only practical option to avoid catastrophic damage to Yokosuka would be to charge right at Hallelujah's forces. If that was the case, then they would need to deal with his forward scouts quickly.

"All ships, target the destroyers with a mixed salvo; one Corrosive missile per ship," he ordered finally, "Nachi, Atago, target the cruiser with your main guns and fire. Ise, follow up on their attack with three Corrosive missiles."

"So, we're hammering them to dust?" Kyouhei asked, even as he brought up Kongou's missiles.

"Brutal and effective," Kongou commented, "But I thought you preferred more refined tactics than this."

"We don't have the time for refined," Gunzou replied as their ships opened fire, "We're backed into a corner, and he knows it. If we spend too much time trying to come up with a plan, he'll either cut us to pieces or focus on the city again to force our hand."

"So our only real option is to meet force with force," Kongou surmised with a smirk, "And here I thought you weren't like us."

Meanwhile, in the sky, Avalon began dodging incoming anti-air fire. It seemed that Hallelujah wasn't about to let him get close so easily.

"Hallelujah!" Avalon shouted over an open channel, "It's over!"

"On that, we can agree," he replied as the cruiser turned its main gun towards Avalon. If it could snag him in the gravity field, he would be done.

Dropping towards the water's surface, Avalon tried to get out of its field of fire only to have particle beams rip up out of the water. Seconds later, almost a dozen GN-Xs followed suit and swarmed towards him. Bringing his shield up, Avalon reversed course as he tried not to get blasted to pieces. But Hallelujah had just maneuvered him right where he wanted.

"Avalon!" Takao shouted as a warning blared for his attention.

Turning, he saw that one of the cruiser's main cannons had turned towards him. He had just enough time to bring his shield up and curse as it fired, and he privately hoped that Takao and Hyuuga had done a fantastic job with their improvements. Watching the battle through his scouts, Hallelujah smirked as the shells slammed into the Exia. Even its armor could be defeated with enough firepower, and a Fog cruiser could easily deliver such punishment without using the Graviton weapons at its disposal. Forcing the brat down low and giving him no room to maneuver was simple, and he couldn't help but feel satisfied when he got shot.

Said satisfaction vanished when the Exia emerged from the cloud without a scratch on it. While he tried to figure out just what the hell had happened, he sent his mobile suits to tie him down. _'There's no way that suit could have taken that kind of a hit without damage,'_ he thought, his smile turning into a grimace quickly. He got his answer as one of the GN-Xs tried to spear him. Avalon brought his shield up to stop the thrust, and just before the javelin hit the metal a barrier lit up and stopped the attack cold. Quickly switching to that one suit's sensors, Hallelujah examined the field up close before cursing.

That boy had equipped his suit with a Klein field, something it shouldn't be able to handle. How he'd managed to do it would be something he would ponder later. Right now, he would have to figure out a way to either get past it or overload it. For the time, it appeared to be local considering how he was still using his shield as his defense. Even then, it couldn't have much strength to it. The main processor of a Gundam might have been rather advanced for the realm it came from, but it still wasn't anywhere near what the Fog had. It likely couldn't take too many hits before it maxed out and shut down.

Ducking another swipe, Avalon deployed his greatsword before cutting through the mobile suit. Without even giving it another glance, he began weaving through the sky again as the other machines continued to try and surround him. It was taking all of his training, his new sense and Takao's assistance just to keep pace with the eleven other mobile suits. Even then, some of their attacks were getting uncomfortably close to his Gundam's torso and he was being forced to use his Klein field a lot more than he was comfortable with. Even with Takao aboard to manage it, its strength was still less than what she'd had at her disposal before.

For her part, Takao was finding this terrifying and exciting. This kind of fast-paced combat was _so_ much better than naval combat, even if Avalon wasn't using the same amount of firepower. The way he ducked and weaved while firing and slashing was almost like dancing, and she was experiencing it all through the Exia's systems. She'd known this machine was powerful, but she hadn't fully appreciated it until now. It was amazingly balanced, even with the nano-material parts. Its reaction time was incredible, and she had to guess that was because of the GN drive. Examining the system, she saw that it was a combination of thrusters and places she could only think of as wells where it would concentrate particles. Somehow, when it did that the area would actually become lighter, allowing the machine to move that part of its body more swiftly.

Of course, she also had a new appreciation for just how fragile the entire design was. In order to give this machine the kind of mobility and speed it possessed, it had sacrificed armor. Granted, the armor it did possess was impressive, and it likely could take a considerable amount of fire before failing. But the joints were more exposed than she would have preferred, and the main drive itself was painfully exposed on its back. And yet, Avalon had managed to survive countless battles using it, so the trade must have been worth it.

Her attention was brought back to the fight at hand when Avalon took out another GN-X. Right as he put a whole through its chest, missiles streaked past his Gundam before slamming into Hallelujah's advanced force. Their Klein fields flared to life as the conventional warheads sought to tear them apart, although Takao could see how much strain they were under when the Corrosive missiles joined them. She also watched as a salvo of beams lanced into the single cruiser, further straining its shield. The destroyers survived the onslaught with moderate damage, while the cruiser got away mostly intact. Of course, that was before another wave of Corrosive missiles slammed into it in a perfect spread. They ripped through what was left of the field locally, aided by another salvo of beams from Kongou's ships, and proceeded to eat away at the cruiser's upper decks. The ship itself was still afloat, but severely damaged and likely out of the fight now.

That didn't deter Kongou, who put another volley into the ship's center and cracked it in half with the resulting explosion. Glancing at her, Gunzou briefly wondered at the ruthlessness she had just displayed. While he would have liked to actually ask her about that decision, now was not the time as the destroyers began returning fire. However, without the cruiser to support them, they were easy pickings for the heavier ships and quickly sank. Without them to act as a distraction, several of the ships turned their lighter guns skyward and began taking shots at the other mobile suits. As good as Avalon was, even he would need help with that many enemies.

After blowing two of them from the sky, the others got the message and scattered with several of them returning fire. Their particle beams weren't nearly strong enough to be dangerous to their barriers, but that wasn't what concerned Gunzou. He knew that these things could shift and change, and he was honestly surprised that Hallelujah wasn't utilizing that ability more often. Maybe it was limited to his personal machine? Possibly, but he couldn't rely on that.

"Gunzou, push up!" Avalon shouted as he turned the Exia to pursue one of the larger groups of enemy units, "We need to get Hallelujah into the open!"

"Agreed," he replied before addressing the rest of the fleet, "All ships, weapons free. Try to conserve your Corrosive missiles for the bigger ships, but do what you need to. Today, we show them we won't back down."

The other ships replied with their actions, unleashing a torrent of energy beams and missiles towards their enemies. Hallelujah's fleet responded in kind, while also directing some of his fire to intercept as many missiles as they could. Now that they were close enough, and with the 402 giving them a clear picture, Gunzou could get a good read on what Hallelujah had at his disposal. Three cruisers and about a dozen destroyers made up his fleet, but that was only what they could clearly see. The 402 was also getting some ghost contacts below the waves, which was strange since it should be able to detect whatever was down there.

He got his answer sooner than he would have liked as the water parted in four trenches, revealing a more advanced version of the support ships Iona had possessed. But instead of working in pairs, the four ships were operating separately.

"…He didn't," Kyouhei muttered, looking at the new ships.

"All ships, evasive action!" Gunzou shouted, even as Kongou began veering away.

The other ships quickly followed suit, but two of their cruisers weren't quick enough. Firing her engines at their maximum output, Nachi struggled to get out of the gravity field while Haguro redirected everything she had towards the Klein field. Ashigara was in a similar situation, although she had the luck of being near the edge of the field when it grabbed her. Within moments, she'd clawed her way back to open water and was steaming away from the trench. The two that had missed completely vanished moments later as their ships disappeared back beneath the waves. Nachi could only assume they were taking up new positions to try and snipe them again.

"Nachi!" Haguro shouted in panic.

Her attention thoroughly brought back to their current problem, she watched in horror as the ship fired its Graviton cannon. The chances of a ship of that size possessing full-powered Graviton weapons were slim, but she wasn't taking any chances. She quickly shut her engines down and directed all of her processing power to the Klein field just as the blast slammed into her in a full broadside. The two Models cringed as the deck shook beneath their feet, and several plates of armor were stripped off in the blast as it struggled to pierce their defenses. Nachi watched the rapidly rising saturation level for their field with dread, and she quickly calculated the seconds it would take to breach the field and kill them both.

But just before it reached that point, the blast weakened before stopping completely. Collapsing to her knees, Nachi breathed a sigh of relief as the water closed around her again. As a result, she didn't see the torpedoes streaking towards her.

"Nachi, below you!" Kongou shouted too late. The torpedoes slammed into her weakened barrier, ripping through it with their Corrosive fields before tearing her hull apart. The two Models had enough time to glance at each other before the energy consumed them, and then they were gone.

Roaring in outrage, Kongou deployed her own Graviton cannon and locked onto the leading cruiser. Gunzou tried talking her down, but she wouldn't be deterred. This bastard, this _creature_ , had just taken two more of her sisters from her. He would not take another. Grimacing in frustration, Gunzou turned his attention to the rest of the fleet.

"Ise, Hiei, lock-down two of those support ships with your Graviton cannons," he ordered as the two fleets drew closer, "Atago, Haguro, target the third. Ashigara and Myoukou will take out the fourth. We cannot let those things run free."

Even if those ships couldn't breach their fields, the threat they represented was too great to ignore. Especially since the lead destroyers were now coming into close range. They would need to change their course and split the fleet at this rate, since the bigger guns would have trouble hitting them this close in. Hallelujah seemed to understand this, since his destroyers were continuing their charge while the cruisers split up. Just as Kongou finally fired, her target accelerated suddenly and caused the beam to miss.

Growling in frustration, she realized she'd neglected to project a gravity field to stop it from moving. Before she could prepare another shot, the cruisers opened fire on her with all of their conventional weapons. Their rounds were focused on the field protecting her cannon, their intention obvious. Retracting the weapon, she returned her attention to the humans on her bridge.

"Tell me you have a plan to deal with that _thing_ ," she said, practically spitting the last word.

"At the moment, that's not my primary concern," Gunzou said, clutching the chair as the ship rocked from a rather intense blast, "We need to deal with Hallelujah's escorts first."

"Agreed," she replied as her missile hatches opened.

Just before she fired, the other ships finally locked onto the support ships and deployed their cannons. With the battleships, it was laughably easy to ensnare them in the gravity fields, but the cruisers needed to bracket their targets to ensure they got them. In the end, though, they managed to grab all four ships, and in a synchronized blast they tore all of them to shreds. As the explosions threw water and metal into the air, Kongou fired a full volley of Corrosive missiles. They arched downward almost immediately, homing in on Hallelujah's lead destroyers and ripping them apart without mercy.

Watching a third of his ships get torn apart, Hallelujah decided he'd had enough. His cruisers opened their own main towers and deployed their cannons as they continued to spread out. As entertaining as it was to watch them continue to lash out, he needed to wrap this up. Setting his sights on one of their battleships, he smiled as the weapons began charging.

In the skies above, Avalon found himself only facing five GN-Xs now. The rest had either been shot down by him or his allies below. Deflecting a burst from one, he had just enough time to duck under the slash from another before bringing his greatsword into its midsection in a back-handed slash. Accelerating away from the explosion, he switched the sword to its blaster mode before unleashing particle beams as fast as it could cycle. But now that he wasn't as pressured as before, he found that his mind was starting to wander.

This didn't make sense; Hallelujah had possessed hidden weapons that he could have used to rip one of their battleships apart, but he'd wasted them on pot-shots at the cruisers. More importantly, as he watched the tactical display on the small console in front of him, he saw that Hallelujah was also sending his destroyers into close-range. Even though they were small and fast, they couldn't last for long against Kongou's heavier ships. Meanwhile, his cruisers were spreading out and circling around the battle from both sides. If he was going to fight at point-blank, why wouldn't he go all-in with everything?

Then he saw the charging Graviton cannons, and he realized something. A single cruiser didn't have much of a chance at beating a battleship's Klein field, even if you brought the Graviton cannon into play. But if three of them focused their fire on one target, then he doubted even Yamato would be able to come out of it unscathed. If he could keep the others tied down dealing with his smaller ships, then he could possibly cripple them with a few well-placed shots. Especially if he took out Kongou; if she went down, then the entire fleet's coordination would start to fall apart.

"Takao, hold on!" he shouted as he suddenly rushed towards the water.

"What are you doing?!" she demanded as he charged one of the cruisers.

Ignoring her, he focused on his target while prepping the missiles in his shield. He had a one in three chance of picking the right ship, and he desperately hopped that he had as he veered so he was between it and Kongou's fleet. Bringing the shield up, he emptied the upper cells of their missiles before accelerating away. They spread out before detonating, scattering smoke and high-density particles in the ship's field of fire. Even with Hallelujah's upgrades, he knew that if the density was high enough then he'd be blind.

"Gunzou, they're trying to pick us off!" he shouted, hoping the kid would understand what he meant.

He didn't get to elaborate as the remaining GN-Xs finally caught up with him, forcing him onto the defensive once again. He was really getting tired of this as he brought his shield up and began dodging again. But using his Trans-Am against what were essentially grunts wouldn't just be a waste; it could get him killed if it ran down right as Hallelujah attacked him. He had no doubt that the former Meister was hoping to do just that, and he wasn't going to give him the satisfaction.

Blasting a hole in one of them, he decided to try and challenge him again. "Is this all you can do, Hallelujah?" he demanded, "Are you just a coward hiding behind your puppets?!"

Somehow, that seemed to work as the three GN-Xs fell back. At the same time, a new machine took off from the cruiser he'd blinded just as it fired its main weapon. Thanks to his interference, its shot missed while the other two slammed into Hiei. Her barrier held, but only just. Her hull didn't fare much better as smoke began billowing from her, and Avalon hoped her small crew hadn't been in any of the damaged areas. Bringing his attention back to his own fight, he watched the Arios join the other mobile suits as they faced off against Avalon.

"Well, if you insist," Hallelujah said in amusement as held his arms out, "I'll just have to show you what you're really fighting against."

With that, the three GN-Xs grabbed onto the Gundam; one on each arm and the third on its back. The three mobile suits then seemed to melt before flowing into the Gundam, changing it drastically. Its size nearly doubled, with the feet growing wicked claws and pointed spines on the knees. The arms sprouted a pair of particle rifle barrels on the forearms, while the hands grew more serrated. The folded armor on its shoulders, which had been the nose of its fighter mode, grew longer before sprouting more spines. Finally, the fins on the head grew longer as well while the entire face took a more twisted look to it. Staring at the new machine, Avalon had no doubts that he was facing a kind of mechanical devil.

"…What… _What the hell are you_?!" Avalon demanded, already feeling his understanding of the ELS slipping away. They'd never done something like this before, even when al-Saachez had been directing them.

"I'm the end of all things," Hallelujah declared as he drew a beam sword, "I'm the death of this world, and I will be the death of you, brat!"

Bringing the blaster up, Avalon unloaded as many shots as he could only to watch them deflect off this new machine's chest. Then it was on him, and he just barely brought his shield up in time as its beam sword came down towards his head. But it didn't stop there, instead opting to continue to accelerate and take them both away from the raging battle. Twisting to the side, Avalon tried to gain some distance only to barely dodge a back-handed swipe from the Arios as it turned to pursue him.

"You think I'm going to let you get away that easily?!" Hallelujah demanded as he brought his other arm up. The beam rifle barrels glowed menacingly as they charged up to fire, and Avalon felt a trickle of fear even as he brought his shield up. "He might not consider you a threat, but I'm not about to let you leave this realm alive!" Hallelujah declared as he opened fire.

The torrent of particle beams slammed into Avalon's Klein field, steadily saturating it with their energy. He couldn't take much more of this fire before the field failed completely, and he wasn't confident in his armor's ability to take that kind of fire. Collapsing the blaster down and returning it to the gauntlet, he reached down for his rifle before dodging to the side. Bringing his gun up in assault mode, he unloaded his own stream of blasts and forced this new Gundam to evade or be ripped apart.

Meanwhile, Hallelujah's ships were beginning to focus their fire on Kongou specifically. Grimacing as the tower rocked from another wave of missiles, Gunzou looked at the tactical plot again. The enemy cruisers were almost behind their position, while their own fleet had been painfully slow to turn to face them.

"Kongou, we need to come about!" he shouted so he would be heard over the explosions.

"I'm well aware of that, human!" she replied as she fought to turn her ship. Her efforts were interrupted as one of the destroyers actually _rammed_ her bow, stopping her turn as it unloaded into her forward field.

"What the hell is this guy thinking?!" Kyouhei demanded, even as he directed fire on the smaller ship, "He's throwing his ships away!"

"Remember, he has other allies across the globe now," Sou reminded him, "Even if he can't beat us now, he probably as a larger fleet gathering further out to sea."

"We can't worry about that now," Gunzou decided, "Hiei, Ise, focus on the cruisers to our-"

He was cut off as a wave of Corrosive missiles penetrated Kongou's defenses, slamming into her field and putting considerable strain on it. The blasts eventually subsided, but they were only replaced by an increase in conventional fire.

"We can't take much more of this!" Kyouhei said, fear starting to creep into his voice.

Grimacing, Gunzou returned his attention to the tactical map. There had to be a way they could get out of this. But the longer he looked, the less he saw. Despite their weight advantage, Hallelujah had managed to disrupt them and was now bogging them down in a point-blank fight. Even if they did win here, it would be at a considerable cost. There was now good way this could end, not unless something changed quickly.

Fortunately, something did.

Energy beams began raining from the sky, slamming into the remaining destroyers with surprising force and actually succeeding in damaging several of them. Pushing himself out of the chair, Gunzou looked up at the sky only to gasp in surprise. At the same time, their communications crackled to life with a new voice.

"Sorry for being late, Captain," Iona said.

* * *

 _To be continued…_


	12. Chapter 12

**Yokosuka Pt. 2**

Watching the battle begin, Hyuuga couldn't help but feel restless. She should be out there with them, even if it meant she was a support processor for one of the other ships. But they'd needed her here, watching the fight in detail in case anyone might miss something. She was also there in case any of Hallelujah's ships got past them and made it into the port. She was under no illusions about her chances against a Fog ship in her current state, but she could at least buy time for one of their ships to respond.

Noticing the odd blotches on the screen, Hyuuga contacted the 402. There shouldn't be things her systems couldn't detect, so their presence was concerning.

"402, are you seeing these?" she asked, knowing the sub would know what she meant.

"…I am detecting…something," she replied slowly, actually sounding frustrated, "It's a high-energy source, but that's all I can pick up. Shizuka is attempting to clean it up, but with little success… She's remarkably skilled for a human."

"So, we have no idea what they are?"

"Submarines, possibly," 402 guessed, "But their formation in regards to the rest of the fleet does not make sense. They should either be spread further or at the front of the formation. Instead, they're deployed…"

"…Like they are intended for support," Hyuuga finished for her, still at a complete loss.

Before she could spend any more time pondering them, she felt a tug on the edge of her processes. It was slight and weak; equivalent to a child pulling on an adult's sleeve, but it was there nonetheless. It only took her a moment to figure out where it was coming from, and in the next second she was striding across the bay towards the one piece of furniture out of place. Before this attack had begun, she'd brought in a bed in order to make Iona comfortable. Even though it was highly unlikely she was even aware of her surroundings in her current state, Hyuuga had still thought it appropriate.

As she knelt next to the head of the bed, she took one of Iona's hands as she searched for some kind of activity physically and electronically. Sure enough, Iona stirred again, frowning at something as she struggled back to the physical world. Finally, she opened her eyes and focused on Hyuuga's now smiling face.

"…Hyuuga," she said quietly.

"Lady Iona," Hyuuga replied, bringing Iona's hand up to her cheek, "I'm so glad you're back. We're in bad shape here."

"I know," she said as she sat up, "Where's the Captain?"

"With Kongou and her fleet. They deployed to protect the city."

"…They're going to lose," Iona stated, looking out towards the ocean.

"The battle hasn't even-"

"He doesn't care about losses," Iona told her, "He could lose his entire fleet here, and it wouldn't mean a thing to his plans. He just needs to keep Avalon in one place. He's the one Hallelujah considers a threat; we're a nuisance."

"How can you-?"

"He tried to take my mind, but because of that I saw his," she said as she got off the bed. Turning to Hyuuga, her eyes became filled with determination as she said, "Hyuuga, I need your help. My ship needs to be modified."

* * *

Locking swords with Hallelujah, Avalon struggled to push this new Gundam back. The increase in mass hadn't just made the Arios more durable; its blows were now much more powerful, and in spite of the increase in size it had lost none of its agility. The only thing that really kept Avalon from getting overwhelmed was that he'd refrained from trying to infect his swords. While that was slightly puzzling, he wasn't about to question it as he pushed off and brought his rifle back up. Particle beams streamed from the three barrels, doing little real damage as Hallelujah cackled.

"Is this all you can do?" he asked as he tried to bring his beam sword into the Exia's side, only to have it blocked by its shield, "I thought you had more than this. Where's the Double 0, Av?"

"Shut up!" Avalon shouted, pushing the blade away before bringing his gun up again.

This time, Hallelujah deployed his other beam sword and cut through the rifle, forcing Avalon to discard it as the breached particle tanks ignited. Bringing the Exia's blaster into play again, he had just enough time for one poorly-aimed shot before he was forced to retreat again.

"Come on, Av!" Takao shouted, frustrated with their lack of progress, "We need to fight back!"

"What do you think I'm doing?!" he demanded as he continued to avoid Hallelujah's attacks.

"Running like a coward!"

"This was going to be hard enough without him-!" he began before the Arios drove a foot into the Exia's chest.

The impact was enough to send him flying back, and he was pretty sure that some of the armor had been dented because of it. Not to mention that it freaking _hurt_ as the restraints kept him from slamming into the center screen.

"What the hell happened to you, Hallelujah?" Avalon asked as he recovered from his attack, "Why would you ever side with the ELS?"

"You think I had any real choice?" Hallelujah replied, actually ceasing his attacks for the moment, "You don't get to 'choose,' Avalon, you _get chosen_. My other self couldn't accept that this was the only way to live, so he was discarded. But I'm not going to die, and I don't care what it takes."

"And just who in the hell choose you?!" Avalon demanded, "Who's controlling the ELS, Hallelujah?"

"You already know him," was his reply before he charged again. Bringing his beam sword across his chest in a slash, he pushed the Exia back further as he said, "We've wasted enough time talking. Now I'm going to rip you apart, Avalon!"

Bringing his sword up, Hallelujah prepared to cut the Exia in two while Avalon felt time slow. He'd hoped that there would have been at least some way he could reach his former friend. Allelujah had been a good person, and he'd desperately hoped that he was still in there. But if Hallelujah was telling the truth, then his friend was dead. All that was left was this monster wearing the skin of a man, and he wouldn't stop. He would kill them all, either today or some day in the future, and then he would move on to the rest of the world. Millions would die, or worse, be consumed by the ELS entirely. He couldn't let that happen.

"I won't let you!" Avalon shouted as the Arios charged him again, "Trans-Am!"

Just as its beam sword would have taken the Exia's head, the Gundam turned red before ducking the attack easily. Bringing his GN blade forward, he stabbed into the Arios' right leg before cutting down and out while accelerating past him. The result; Avalon finally got some distance and the Arios was now missing a limb. But rather than growing angry at the damage, Hallelujah just laughed.

"Haha! That's it, brat!" Hallelujah said as he deployed both of his repeaters, "Fight me with everything! That'll make your death all the sweeter!"

"Just try it!" Avalon challenged.

Hallelujah obliged as he opened fire with both weapons, while Avalon dodged the streams of beams with ease. But while he was easily able to avoid damage to the Exia, the speed he was moving at was starting to take a toll on his physical body. His injuries from the previous fight hadn't completely healed yet, even with his time in the Regeneration bed. And his high-speed turns were starting to make various areas ache again. He could only hope that he didn't start bleeding, because that was the last thing he needed.

Flying over one particular stream of fire, Avalon deployed his broadsword as he flipped over the Arios. At the same time, he brought the sword down and cut into the armor along its back, destroying several particle emitters and hopefully hampering its movements. In response, Hallelujah brought one of his beam swords out again and brought it back towards the Exia. He was able to avoid the slash, but the follow-up fire from the Arios was a bit harder because of their proximity.

Bringing his shield up, Avalon blocked the first couple of shots before disengaging again. Glancing at the status of the Trans-Am, he grimaced as he saw he didn't' have a whole lot of time left. He needed to do serious damage to the Arios, _now_ , or else he'd be finished.

* * *

Looking up at their backup, Gunzou felt joy and amazement at the sight. Iona had come to help, and she'd apparently decided on using a new weapon.

Emulating Avalon's Gundam, she'd reshaped her hull into a large humanoid frame. The armor was much more slanted than the Exia's, and the limbs were thinner. Her only obvious weapon was a long-barreled rifle that looked more like a thin lance that a gun. But between its predominantly white appearance, a clearly feminine shape to the entire body and the wings on its back, it looked exactly like Hyuuga's nickname for Iona; the 'Goddess of Victory.' Not only that, but Gunzou noticed that the wings had the focus rings for Iona's Graviton cannon. For a moment, Gunzou wondered if something that small and fragile could actually use a Graviton weapon.

That question was soon answered as she turned her attention to one of the remaining cruisers. Bringing her rifle up, she split the barrel into four sections while the rings on her back began to spin. Arcs of energy began jumping from the four strips of metal, even as the ships below started to open fire on her.

"Kongou, we need to give her cover!" Gunzou shouted, but Kongou was already in motion.

It only took her seconds to deal with the destroyer that had stopped her turn, and she quickly turned her guns towards Iona's target before shelling it relentlessly. At the same time, Kyouhei was plotting attack paths and firing Kongou's missiles as he tried to keep the other ships pinned down. They just needed to buy a little time, just a few more minutes.

Looking down at the battle, Iona felt the power building within her new hull as she set her sights on the center tower of the cruiser. Pointing the remainder of her rifle at it, she pulled the trigger and activated a gravity field. The air before her rippled slightly, but the biggest affect was that the cruiser was suddenly suspended over a pit in the ocean. To its credit, it tried to power its way out of the field while firing up at her, but the Klein field she possessed was able to take the shots. Granted, it wasn't as strong as what her normal hull possessed, but it would suffice.

"I will not allow you to take any more of my sisters," she said as she reached peak charge, "I'm sorry that I cannot save you, but you will advance no further."

With that, she released the stored energy in a focused beam. While she could handle a small-scale Graviton cannon with this configuration, the sacrifice in power meant that she wouldn't be able to penetrate a Klein field normally. This is why Hyuuga had designed Iona's rifle the way she had, using the split barrel to further compress the energy into a smaller and more powerful beam. It was a heavily modified version of an upgrade she had been planning for a while now, and the affect was devastating. The compressed Graviton beam cut through the Klein field in seconds, burning through the metal and exiting out of the bottom of the ship. At the same time, she destroyed or damaged a lot of the components for the Cruiser's own Graviton weapon, causing the energy built up to grow unstable.

The cruiser ripped itself apart in a torrent of gravitational energy several seconds later, causing the missiles it still had to detonate as well. The secondary explosions ended up engulfing one of the few destroyers left, ripping the front of the ship off as the water around them heaved violently. Watching the explosion, Iona took a moment to make sure her allies weren't going to get caught in the blast before turning her attention to the other two cruisers. Kongou's ships were taking advantage of the damage she'd wrought, breaking through Hallelujah's encirclement and coming around the back of the remaining ships. Hallelujah's ships, meanwhile, were in disarray as they tried to decide if they were going to keep fighting Kongou or deal with Iona.

Meanwhile, Avalon watched the tide turn in fascination. He had no idea that Iona could adapt like that, and seeing a Graviton weapon mounted to what was essentially a Mobile Suit was both amazing and terrifying. Of course, he wasn't the only one to notice how the tide had turned.

"That little _witch_!" Hallelujah spat as he rocketed back towards the fight, "You think I'm going to let you do that and walk away?!"

"Hallelujah!" Avalon shouted, using his superior speed to move into his path again, "We're not done yet!"

"Oh, yes, we are!" he replied as he opened fire again.

Deflecting the blasts, Avalon closed in with the broadsword held over his head. One good attack was all he needed, and this would be finished. But it wasn't meant to be. Hallelujah dodged the slash before the armor on his back seemed to splinter.

"Oh, no…"

"Fangs!" Hallelujah commanded as the shards of metal flew towards the Exia.

He cut through the first couple easily, but the rest forced him onto the defensive. Even with the Trans-Am boosting his speed, these things were much smaller and quicker. Thankfully, they were too small to hold particle blasters, but if they impacted the Gundam he'd have serious problems. Hallelujah used that, flying up and over the Exia as he went straight for Iona. She saw him coming, and reformed her rifle before turning it on him. Firing several shots, she forced the Arios to dodge as her beams got uncomfortably close to their mark. It only took Hallelujah seconds to realize that she was using a hand-held version of a Fog cannon, and he calculated the output was similar to a Destroyer's main gun. Not much by Fog standards, but more than sufficient to blow him from the sky.

"This ends here, Demon," Iona said as he drew closer, "You will not win."

"Let's see you stop me, little girl!" Hallelujah replied as he deployed a beam sword and tried to stab her.

But her Klein field activated and stopped him cold, absorbing the energy without difficulty as she brought her left wrist up. The armor on the forearm split and moved to the side, while a pair of smaller barrels extended out and forward. About two seconds later, he was peppered with smaller-yield shots as she unloaded at close range. The damage was minimal, but the volume of fire combined with how close he was meant she could chip his armor away easily. Backing away, he deactivated his beam sword before bringing his own repeaters into play. If she wanted a shoot-out, then that's what she'd get.

At least, that had been the plan. But Avalon came up behind him before they could really exchange more than a dozen shots. His greatsword bit into the Arios' left shoulder, severing the limb as the Exia flew past and took up a position next to Iona. His Trans-Am was still active, but it was likely reaching its limit. If he could just last a little longer…

"It's over, Hallelujah!" Avalon declared, motioning to the naval battle.

Turning his attention to the fight, he saw that his remaining ships were being systematically destroyed by Kongou's forces. With the encirclement broken, they had little chance of inflicting serious damage. His last two cruisers were fighting valiantly, but their escorts were little use as they were turned into balls of fire and metal. As much as he hated to admit it, he'd lost here. It was time to retreat.

"Well, then," he said, turning back to the two other machines, "I guess this is the part where I say goodbye."

"You're not leaving!" Avalon shouted as he charged Hallelujah again. His greatsword was stopped by Hallelujahs beam sword, but it still kept him in one relative place. "I'm not about to let you slink away and drag this out!" he continued, "This ends here!"

"If that's how you want it!"

Pushing the Exia back, he sacrificed his thicker armor and sent the material down to replace his missing limbs. Within seconds, the Arios had returned to its normal form, and Hallelujah brought his rebuilt repeaters into play again as Avalon tried to take another swing at him. Rather than dodging the particle beams, Avalon charged through them as he brought his sword down towards the Gundam's chest. Hallelujah managed to dodge, but only barely. However, it gave him an excellent opening.

Balling one hand into a fist, Hallelujah punched the Exia in its side before making the metal on his hand splinter. The second the material latched onto the Gundam, Avalon felt a severe headache take hold of him. It slowed his reaction time just enough for Hallelujah to follow up with a kick before trying to fly away.

"Avalon!" Takao shouted, noticing his wildly fluctuating vitals through his suit, "Avalon, what's going on?! What did he-Arrghh!"

She didn't get long to wonder as the ELS material began infecting the Gundam, eating into the metal as it slowly spread. Takao could feel the connections in the various electronics getting severed as it slowly moved deeper into the suit. But that wasn't even the bad part. The Exia's cockpit was just below the chest, which put it dangerously close to the infection. Gritting her teeth, Takao disregarded her restraint as she started taking control of the Gundam's more active systems. Avalon was only just now recovering from whatever had just happened to him, so he wouldn't be much help for now.

Meanwhile, Iona had reengaged the Arios. Her rifle was deadly-accurate, forcing Hallelujah to weave through the sky or risk losing more material. He didn't even have the time to transform the Gundam into its flight mode, and it was frustrating that someone so new to Mobile Suit combat was keeping a seasoned pilot on the defensive. Perhaps it was time he started using his remaining assets more…creatively.

Diving for the water, he forced her to follow as he gave the appearance of trying to submerge. However, he broke off at the last second before turning over and blasting her with both repeaters. Her Klein field was able to take the shots easily, but it had to be reaching its limits by now. Dodging another shot, he kept firing bursts at her while he circled. Iona, meanwhile, had taken up a stationary position as she unleashed her fire at him. She managed to clip him a couple of times, but he was frustratingly maneuverable for a machine that big.

Dodging another blast from her, he flew a zig-zag pattern before coming to a stop as he formed the material on his right arm into a now familiar weapon.

"Gotcha!" he shouted as the cannon charged.

Bringing her rifle up, Iona fired at his chest only to have him move just enough to avoid the killing shot. She still took his left arm, but that was all the time he needed as the canon fired. The compressed particle beam slammed into her Klein barrier, straining it further as she cringed from the energy. It didn't take long for it to break through the weakened shield, and she gasped before crying out in pain as it took her right wing and arm. Drifting to the side, she clutched at the damaged sections before she was suddenly stopped.

Recognizing the feeling, she looked up to see that Hallelujah only had one cruiser left. It had managed to gain just enough distance from the battle to avoid getting ripped apart, and its Graviton cannon had her firmly locked in as it reached peak charge. Her eyes went wide as the implications dawned on her; she was going to die here, and there wasn't a thing she could do about it.

"Kongou!" Gunzou shouted, seeing the remaining cruiser's new target.

"All ships, full Corrosive spread!" Kongou ordered as her missile banks opened, "Burn that ship to ash!"

"Yes, Flagship!" the replied as over a hundred Corrosive missiles were fired.

Yamato would have been hard-pressed to take that kind of firepower, to say nothing of a Heavy Cruiser. And yet, as she watched the missiles streak towards their target she realized they wouldn't reach it in time. This man clearly didn't care if the ship died, because it would get enough of its shot off to destroy the 401's Mental Model. There was nothing they could do physically, which left Kongou with very few choices.

Gritting her teeth, she reestablished her connection to the JTN before diving into the virtual world completely. She soared through its relatively empty data-scape as she honed in on the cruiser before them. In the time it took her human allies to take a breath, she found it within the virtual world and fell upon its defenses. Normally, she would have taken it apart systematically, but there wasn't time for that. She forced her way through its systems, tearing the firewalls and programs that stood in her way down as she focused on its fire control. If she could seize control of it, then there was a chance.

But her momentary advantage vanished in less than a second, and in the next breath she was under attack from the Mental Model and its Master. Hallelujah knew what she was trying to do, and he would not allow her to succeed.

* _You think you're going to change anything?*_ he asked her even as he started forcing her back, * _That little puppet is going to die, Kongou. You can't stop it, and you can't stop me._ *

* _Just watch me!_ * she replied as she pushed back.

While he was surprised at how strong she really was, she still wasn't a match for the collective processing power he'd gathered. He was keeping the Graviton cannon's controls firmly out of her reach, which left them in a stalemate. _'Unacceptable,'_ she thought as she changed tactics. She still had some aspects of the fire control program, and examining what she had revealed a far less elegant solution. She didn't really have time to debate the merits of it, since the cannon was about three seconds away from reaching peak charge. Instead, she activated the weapons she had control over and fired them before withdrawing from the system.

At this point, Avalon had recovered from Hallelujah's attack and…whatever the hell that follow-up had been. He could think about it later. Right now, he was on the clock with the ELS material eating into his suit.

"Avalon!" Takao cried, getting his attention.

Looking down, he saw Iona get grabbed by Hallelujah's remaining ship.

"Shit, shit, shit!" he cursed even as he dove for the two of them. He had about ten seconds of Trans-Am time left, which left him with about one good attack.

But then something amazing happened; the cruiser's back sections began exploding in a chain reaction, causing the entire ship to heave as its remaining Corrosive missiles all went off. It was more than enough to force the Graviton cannon to shut down as the Mental Model focused on preserving her ship. It might have worked, too, had it not been hit with dozens of additional missiles.

"No!" Hallelujah shouted, watching his last ship get destroyed. With it out of the way, they would undoubtedly focus on him next. He needed to leave, _now_.

But just as he turned to retreat, the Exia slammed into him while impaling him with its sword. He didn't even get time to cry out as the Gundam kept going, taking both of them into the ocean below. Continuing to accelerate down, Avalon forced the Arios deeper and deeper as he slashed out with his sword. Collapsing the blade, he slammed the blaster into its damaged midsection while his other hand latched onto its shoulder. Avalon then proceeded to unload particle beams into the Gundam, systematically destroying its innards as they continued to sink.

"…Hehehe… You know, he was right about you…" Hallelujah said, making Avalon stop.

"Who was right?" Avalon demanded, pulling the Exia closer, "Who's giving you your orders? Who's doing all of this?! Tell me!"

"He was right," Hallelujah repeated, "You really are…a complete fool!"

With that, the Arios suddenly pulled the Exia closer before its chest began to glow.

"Avalon-!" Takao began.

"Damn-!" he cursed.

In the next second, the Gundam exploded. The blast was enough to tear the Exia's front up, as well as damage the gauntlet on the right arm. But that wasn't Avalon's concern, since the force of the blast slammed his head into the back of his chair hard enough to knock him unconscious. Forcing her rising panic down, Takao struggled to gain control over the damaged suit even as water began filling the cockpit.

* * *

Feeling something shaking him, Avalon slowly made his way back to the land of the conscious as he heard a muffled voice. Blinking his eyes a few times, he tried not to wince as sunlight assaulted him. With a groan, he leaned forward before he felt hands on his shoulders. Looking up, he saw that Takao was kneeling part-way in the Exia's hatch, looking at him in concern as he tried to bring his mind back into order.

"…Takao…?" he asked, looking around, "What did… what happened?"

"That bastard tried to take us with him," she replied, leaning back and smiling in relief, "It's a good thing this machine is sturdy."

"You…saved me?"

"Well, I still owed you for pulling me out of the ocean," she replied, trying not to blush, "So…consider us even."

Looking to his right, he saw that Iona's new frame had landed next to them. The area in the center of its chest flowed away, revealing Iona standing in a cockpit that looked more like just a standard chair. She looked at the Exia before cracking a smile and raising her hand at them. Avalon couldn't help but chuckle at the sight. Standing up, he stepped out onto the hatch as Takao moved to the side. Meanwhile, the rest of Kongou's ships were gathering around them as the crews and Mental Models came out into the open.

Lowering himself to the deck, Avalon wasn't all that surprised to watch Takao just leap from the cockpit. Of course, she could actually take the landing. Iona joined them as well, and the three of them looked at each other in silence for several seconds.

"…It's over…right?" Iona asked, actually managing to look unsure for once.

Looking up at the Exia, Avalon noticed that the ELS material that had been in its side had broken up while they were underwater. It left a rather concerning hole in the armor, but it was gone nonetheless.

"Yes," he said finally, taking his helmet off and tucking it under one arm, "It's over."

"We did it!" Takao cheered, jumping up and down several times before grabbing Avalon's shoulders, "We finally beat that bastard!"

"Yeah, we did, didn't we?" he replied, smiling at her, "You did well, Takao. Thank you."

She couldn't help the blush that came to face from his praise, and it quickly dampened her cheer as she looked at him.

"W-Well, of course I did!" she said, turning away, "I wasn't about to let that jerk win, now was I? Honestly, how could you have expected anything less than my absolute best?"

"Well, I'm not sure I'd call it your 'absolute best'" he said, his smile growing broader as she whirled around to face him again.

"Listen here, you!" she began before the hatch for Kongou's main tower opened.

Turning around abruptly, she watched as the others walked towards them. Sou still had his mask on, so his mood was unknown. But it was a safe bet that he was pleased, considering that Kyoukei and Iori were beaming and Gunzou was smiling. Even Kongou had a small smirk as she turned to look out over the water.

"C-Captain…" Takao began, her old feelings finally coming back to the surface. After everything that had happened, she hadn't realized that she'd been ignoring him while suppressing those emotions. But now that the pressure was gone, they came roaring back to the forefront of her mind.

"Yes, Tak-?" he began.

"Captain!" she cried, practically lunging at him as she hugged him, her eyes streaming with tears.

Watching them, Avalon smiled before shaking his head. Walking away quietly, he went and joined Kongou as she looked at the remains of their fight. Pieces of the ships still floated on the surface, and the water heaved in unnatural ways in certain areas after the use of so many Graviton weapons. Looking at the remains of Kongou's forces, he marveled at how well they'd done. They may have lost a ship, but considering how things could have gone they were incredibly lucky.

"He is dead, then?" Kongou asked without looking at him.

"…I believe so," Avalon replied after several seconds of thought.

"But you're not sure."

"It seems like…the more I fight them, the less I understand," he told her, deciding to be completely honest, "The material eating into my suit broke up after he exploded, so he _should_ be dead. But…"

"But?"

"But I still don't understand how he was even here in the first place, or what they really want. Why attack this world, or the previous one? Technology? Resources?" Looking down, he shook his head as he said, "I don't know, Kongou, I really don't. That almost got me killed here. Next time… I don't think I'm going to be so lucky."

"Then get better," she said, finally turning to look at him, "Grow stronger. Learn their strengths and weaknesses. Gather allies, and take the fight to them." Turning to regard the 401's crew, she couldn't help the small smile that came to her face. "If there's one thing I've learned from these humans," she said as she looked at him again, "It's that there are some things no one can face alone."

"…Kongou, is that a change of heart I hear?" he asked with a small smile.

"A revelation," she corrected, "My kind… Maybe we are too focused on some things. These humans… maybe they can…"

"Teach you something?" he pressed, actually seeing the spark of change in her eyes.

"Maybe," she replied before the spark was gone again, "But that's a discussion for another day. For now, we should return to the port. Assuming, of course, that they allow us back in."

"After saving their city, I don't see why they'd ever turn you away," he told her as they returned to the group.

* * *

Watching the signal for Hallelujah's Tether go out, al-Saachez couldn't help but growl in frustration. Truth be told, he'd actually liked the guy in spite of their respective pasts.

"So, he's been killed, then?" one of his companions asked, looking to their leader.

"That wasn't the plan…" another of them said, leaning forward as they clasped their hands together, "Now we've lost the ability to make more Controllers. Maybe even for good."

"His death was…unfortunate," their leader conceded, "But not unforeseen. In fact, I think it's given us a rather unique opportunity."

"How?"

"Watch."

Information streamed before them, showing how Avalon somehow knew when Hallelujah had arrived during their battle with Kongou. They also saw his hesitation when Hallelujah struck him and infected his machine.

"…You can't mean…?" the first one asked, turning to look at their leader.

"I knew Soran wouldn't have picked just anyone," he said, smiling in satisfaction, "Avalon…or rather, _Jackson_ , has begun to change."

"And how does this help us?"

"Because, it's not complete yet," al-Saachez replied, "He hasn't fully awakened, and at the rate he's going he'll die before he does, unless…"

"Unless he speeds the process up," their leader finished, pleased they were grasping the problem, "And there are only a few Realms that would allow him to do that."

"So, we lay a trap," one of the others suggested, already enjoying the implications.

"We allow him to make the first move," their leader decided, "And then, once he's exposed…"

Al-Saachez punctuated that sentence by turning and firing at the main display. The bullet put a hole right where the Exia's 'heart' would be. It was somewhat gratifying, but it wasn't enough for al-Saachez. This time, he wasn't going to hold back.

"This time, you die," he promised.

* * *

 **Left with more questions than answers, Avalon prepares to embark on the next leg of his journey. However, this time he will not travel alone.**

 **Next Chapter; Nexus**

 **Welcome to the place where Realms meet.**

 **A/N; Apologies for the long wait on this one, but the next chapter has been eating up my time. I want to make sure that certain parts of it are set up properly, especially considering the impact they will have.**


	13. Chapter 13

**Nexus**

When they finally returned to the port, it was to a sight Avalon hadn't ever expected to see. People lined the dock, cheering and waving at the ships that had saved their lives. There were also more than a few soldiers, and while they weren't as excited to see the Fog ships return, they didn't look openly hostile towards them, either. Personally, Avalon couldn't believe that so many people had actually stayed behind when the fighting kicked off. The battle had felt like it had lasted hours, but clearly it hadn't been all that long since they hadn't completely evacuated the city.

Standing on Kongou's deck, he noticed decent portions of the crowd were motioning towards him. Well, to be more specific they were motioning towards the two large machines on Kongou's deck. Even though both of them were damaged, it didn't seem to matter to these people. Their homes had been saved, and the monsters at the gate had been defeated. And it was all because of a race that had, until then, been their enemy. The irony wasn't lost on him, and Avalon was willing to bet that this single fight would have almost as much of an impact on the world as Gunzou's father forming the Scarlet Fleet, maybe even more.

"Looks like you're famous, Kongou," he commented, looking at her as she appraised the humans on the pier.

"…This is…unexpected," she finally said, actually looking confused for once.

"It's human nature," he replied, smiling, "Even if you're still technically enemies, the fact remains that you saved them. You've earned their praise, so they'll forget about the past; for now, at least."

"But then things will go back to the way they were, won't they?" she asked, looking back at him even as she ship came to a stop.

"Only if you let it happen. I'm sure they would be more open to relations after this."

"But, after everything we've done-"

"Kongou, let me explain something that's integral to human beings," Avalon said, turning to face her fully, "In general, humans have an incredible capacity to understand and forgive. If you do something kind, no matter the reason, then you will open their minds to cooperation. It might be hard, and you might not make much progress in the beginning, but the path is still open to you."

"You're just saying that because you're a part of the Blue Steel," she concluded, turning away, "Their ideas for the world might be…interesting, but that doesn't change the fact that they're impossible to achieve."

"…Do you know what Celestial Being's core principle is?" he asked, "We are sworn to create a world free from self-destructive conflicts. Normally, I'd say that this only applies to Humanity. But after the past few days…" Turning to regard the crew of the 401 and Takao, Avalon couldn't help but smile as he watched them finally talking normally. "After being around your kind for so long, I've realized that view is too narrow," he said, turning to look at Kongou again, "I should be striving for peace between _all_ people, human and otherwise. Besides, you saw how effective your ships were with human crews. That was just on short notice; imagine if it was more long-term."

A part of her, the part still beholden to the Admiralty Code, wanted to refuse his proposal on principle. No matter what had happened, the fact remained that they were to keep mankind out of the oceans until the Code deemed otherwise. They couldn't form attachments with the humans, because as the Mental Models of the Blue Steel had proven, attachments led to erratic behavior and a disregard for their primary directives. However… they had all been exposed to humans now, no matter how brief. It wasn't inconceivable that it would have an effect on her and the others, even if she decided to just return to how things were.

Besides, Avalon had a point; their efficiency in battle _had_ gone up, even if it was by a small margin. That was likely due more to the little time they'd had to prepare, but the implications were enough to warrant further consideration. She'd already rejoined the JTN, seeing that the network was clear of Hallelujah's corruption. Only a few of them had actually reconnected by this point, and those that had were exploring tentatively. A part of her knew she should upload what she had from the fight, but she hesitated.

It was one thing to have her task force affected by this fight, but if she shared the results with the rest of the Fog…it had the potential to fracture them beyond recovery. She would have to discuss this with Yamato before deciding the best course of action.

"That decision…may not be up to me," she said slowly, "But… even if their goals are impossible… they are still… interesting."

Looking at her, Avalon could tell that was probably the most he could hope for from her. In spite of what had happened, she wasn't likely to have a complete personality flip so soon. Expecting such a thing was, admittedly, unrealistic. Of course, that didn't mean that changes _weren't_ happening, and he would be surprised if the survivors hadn't come away with at least a slightly different perspective.

Turning back to the Exia, he slowly walked over as he prepared himself for what came next. Now that Hallelujah was gone, he wasn't needed in this Realm. Their fates were their own, and he'd done enough damage. It was time to move on.

' _Maybe the next Realm won't be as screwed,'_ he thought as he put his helmet back on.

Of course, his actions didn't go unnoticed. Takao watched as he boarded the Gundam again, and she felt…conflicted. Even being near Gunzou didn't dispel the feeling that watching Avalon walk away was somehow…wrong. She couldn't quite place it, but she didn't want to leave him alone. It was probably because of this that she turned to Gunzou.

"Captain, can I talk with you about something?" she asked, feeling nervous.

* * *

Of course, things didn't go quite as Avalon expected. Rather than returning the Gundam to his Assault Container, he was forced to bring it onto the peer and leave it standing tall. Iona did the same with her own suit, leaving them surrounded by an adoring crowd. The Mental Models didn't fare much better, since they were all besieged with praise for the efforts. Not even the human crews were exempt from the gratitude, and it showed that Avalon had badly underestimated the impact this fight would have.

In hindsight, it'd been obvious; outside of the 401, humanity had never had anything resembling a successful naval battle with the Fog since they were driven from the sea. It didn't matter that, technically, what they'd fought was ELS-augmented ships. They'd looked like Fog ships, and they'd used Fog weapons, so to these people they were just another Fog fleet. Having the Flagship of the Second Oriental Fleet participate in the fight was another boon, since it implied they were open to cooperation. In spite of Kongou's insistence that this wasn't the case, it didn't stop that idea from spreading like wildfire.

Watching them interacting with these people, Avalon had to keep himself from laughing at how uncomfortable the various Models seemed with all of the attention. Hiei couldn't decide between glaring at people until they left and blushing at all of the praise being heaped on her. The Cruisers all seemed rather surprised as well, but they were actually interacting with people instead of just looking at them strangely. Ise, meanwhile, seemed to be enjoying this immensely, talking and laughing loudly. The only one that kept any resemblance of calm was Kongou, and Avalon suspected that it was just barely maintained considering her face seemed just a bit brighter than normal.

The Blue Steel, meanwhile, were soaking all of this in. For the most part, they were viewed as an oddity at the best of times. Now, they were at the center of attention and being given the praise that Avalon believed they were overdue. It took real courage to take a stand and try to change the world, and he was happy that they were finally being recognized for their efforts. For his part, he was managing the barrage of thanks and questions rather well. He just explained his technology away by saying it was acquired from the Fog, which made sense to them considering Iona's makeshift Mobile Suit.

Still, it was hours before the crowd finally broke up, although Avalon could tell that the celebration was simply moving elsewhere. He also had no doubt that everyone had been invited, and he was slightly curious if any of Kongou's group would actually accept. But as much as he would have wanted to stick around, he knew it was time for him to go.

Waiting until the last of them had left, he boarded the Exia again before taking it back to the Assault Container. Docking was interesting, considering that half of the emitters had been damaged in the fight. But after almost half an hour, he had it docked properly and activated the arms to bring the Gundam back into the ship. Once it was lying down, the GN drive was connected to the ship while the Karels deployed and began their automated tasks. It would take a while for the Exia to be fully repaired from this, and he knew that the Container didn't have enough materials to accomplish it. That meant a prolonged stay at the Nexus, which wasn't exactly something he was looking forward to.

Walking outside, he made a quick check of the exterior to be sure he was clear for takeoff. Last thing he needed was something getting knocked down or destroyed as he left. Besides, he wanted to enjoy his time with real air and gravity just a little while longer.

When he'd completed his inspection, he noticed that Kongou was talking with the Blue Steel again, and he couldn't help but feel hopeful at the sight. It wasn't too long ago that she would have killed them on sight, but now she was talking with them cordially, and without the rest of her subordinates present, too. In spite of whatever bad blood was between them, he had a good feeling about how things would turn out.

' _They're in good hands,'_ he thought, smiling. But, like a lot of things, his time here was coming to an end. Turning back, he had just taken a step when someone spoke up.

"Leaving without a goodbye?" Atago asked.

"I'd thought that you'd be happy to be rid of me," he replied, turning back to face her.

"I would have been…before," she said, looking down and clearly feeling just a little uncomfortable, "But…after watching you fight for all of us, not just your fellow humans… You're different, aren't you?"

"In more ways than you know," he told her with a smile. Extending a hand, he said, "Well, it's been nice meeting you, Atago."

Looking at his offered hand, she realized this was a human custom regarding farewells. He was…saying goodbye to her, but that didn't make any sense.

"It's not like you're leaving," she said dismissively, "I know we'll see each other again. Besides, I still haven't managed to convince sister Takao that humans are all leches."

"No, Atago… this is goodbye," he said, actually sounding…sad about it, "My job's done here, so it's time to move on. You won't see me again." Smiling, he added, "I guess your sister will be safe from me, then."

"What's this about me being safe?"

Turning at the sound of her voice, Avalon wasn't really that surprised to see that Takao had sought him out. In fact, all of the Blue Steel was with her, as was Kongou. To be honest, Avalon wasn't sure which unnerved him more; the look he was getting from Kongou or the one Takao was leveling at him. They were almost equally intimidating, but for different reasons.

"You didn't think I was going to let you slink away without honoring our deal, did you?" Kongou asked, crossing her arms as she arched one eyebrow in challenge.

"…Right, the deal…" he replied, suddenly remembering what he'd promised her.

In hindsight, it was an incredibly stupid decision, but it wasn't like he had many options at the time. And now it was time to hold up his end of the deal. Sighing, he waved her over to the airlock as he pulled information up on the terminal within. The others gathered outside, more than a little eager to see just what he would end up giving the Fog.

Privately, Takao suspected he would be giving them the technology for his reactor, since it was the most exotic thing in his arsenal. His weapons were unique, but nothing really new or effective compared to what the Fog possessed. Likewise, space flight wasn't something they really required help with. But, it was to her surprise that he pulled up the schematics for the Exia. Not the weapons, or the reactor, but the Mobile Suit itself. Judging from Kongou's expression, she wasn't the only one surprised by his choice.

"…And why would I want this?" she asked, looking at him.

"Considering what Iona made in a pinch, I think you could actually take this technology pretty far," he replied, looking back at her evenly, "And as she also demonstrated, you don't need the technology behind the GN drives to make it work. Besides, I don't think you understand just how powerful Mobile Suits can be."

"They can be designed to fight on land, under water, in the air and even up in space," he explained, "They can move faster than basically any naval ship, and their loadouts are only limited by their lift capacity and reactor output. These things would allow you to extend your reach much further than it already is."

Looking at the screen again, Kongou actually tried to project what this could mean for the Fog. Their humanoid form might not be needed, and there was a good chance the Fog wouldn't use the technology as a whole, but if they did… The ability to strike targets far inland without relying on missiles would be a definitive advantage, especially when she considered they would be wielding Fog weaponry. They could conceivably take the rest of the planet if they deployed these properly, even though doing so could be considered a breach of the Admiralty Code. Still, having the capability probably wouldn't be such a bad thing.

"…Well, this would be a considerable expansion to our arsenal," she replied, looking at him again, "Of course, that's provided that the Supreme Flagship even allows us to do so. She may decide to discard this option entirely."

"Not my problem," Avalon replied, even as Kongou began copying the data.

What he didn't say was that the Blue Steel had a decisive advantage should this turn into a Mobile Suit arms race; they had already constructed a fairly decent one, and Iona now had tangible experience fighting with it. He had no doubt that they would use it again if pressed, or even share it with the major powers to try and balance the playing field. Besides, he agreed with Kongou. It was unlikely that Yamato would allow them to utilize this technology, regardless of the advantages it would give them.

"Well, I guess our business is concluded," she said finally, turning to face him fully. Much to his surprise, she extended her hand as she said, "I believe it's customary to shake hands at farewells."

Seeing her doing something so familiar was…odd, but Avalon decided to just take it at face value. Taking her hand, he gave it a firm shake as he said, "Goodbye, Kongou. In spite of how we met, I do wish you well."

"You may change your tone if another war breaks out," she replied as she turned to leave, "However, it was definitely…interesting. Farewell, Human."

' _Guess it would have been too much to hope she'd use my name,'_ he thought, smirking as she left. Now, it was just a matter of saying goodbye to-

"Don't even think about it," Takao said, interrupting his thoughts. Stepping forward, she brought one hand up before pointing right at him. "If you think I'm going to let you just run off alone again, you've got another thing coming," she continued sternly, "You're not about to leave me behind again, got it?"

"…Uh…what?" he asked, now thoroughly confused. Looking over at Gunzou, he hoped that he would have a better explanation than that.

"We talked earlier," he explained, gently waving Takao down, "I had a pretty good idea of what would happen once your enemy was defeated, but I can't say I'm happy letting you sail off alone."

"…It's not like I can really help it," Avalon replied, looking between them, "It's not that other people can't come with me, it's just…"

"Just what?" Takao demanded, trying to remain calm. Whatever this was, it was clearly something that made Avalon uncomfortable.

"It's just…anyone that comes with me…won't return," he told them, looking down.

"You really think I'd die that easily?"

"That's not what I meant," he said, "There are…rules in regards to people like me. I…can't ever go home, or any close variation to it again. If any of you come with me, you can never come back here. And I mean _never_ ; there's safeguards built into the technology to prevent it." Looking up at Takao, he tried to keep his face straight as he finished, "So, if you're going to come with me, then it'd be for good. You would never see any of them again."

"Oh…" she said quietly, finally grasping the problem.

It wasn't that he didn't want her to come with him, it's that the price for joining him was rather steep. She'd never get to see Gunzou again, or any of the other humans she was actually growing attached to. Turning to look at her Captain, she tried to figure out just what she should do. This was a much bigger decision than she thought it was.

"…I can see why you wouldn't want just anyone coming along with you," Gunzou finally said, "You could be potentially robbing a world of someone they would need in the future. Not to mention the personal sacrifice…"

"Personally, I didn't have a whole lot of choice," Avalon replied, "But you do, Takao, and if you do this there will be no taking it back."

"Well…when you put it like that…" she said nervously.

"Takao, you _cannot be serious_!" Atago shouted, rushing up next to her sister, "You can't be considering running away with this… _man_!"

Looking at her sister, Takao tried to keep a firm grasp on her resolve. After witnessing how Avalon fought, she'd realized something she hadn't really thought about before. Looking back on the other fight she'd witnessed, she'd noticed that he had a knack for putting himself directly in the line of fire a lot more often than he should. At first, she'd thought he was just that confident in his abilities, but after seeing how often that had resulted in damage at the best of times had made her reevaluate that conclusion. He was, in spite of what he showed, reckless with his life.

Had she not gotten to know him, it probably wouldn't have bothered her. But he'd saved her life, protected her from Yamato, even nearly giving his life to save another of her own kind. And then, before he'd even recovered fully he'd put everything on the line to save them all. She didn't say it, but when the Exia was sinking he had come rather close to dying. The suit's life support systems had been damaged in the blast, and had she not been able to gain control of the flight systems it would have sunk to the bottom while he suffocated.

While that technically meant she didn't owe him her life anymore, it didn't feel that simple. He was just too reckless, and she couldn't foresee a good ending for him if it continued. He needed someone to keep him in check.

"…It's okay, Atago," she said, putting one hand on her sister's shoulder and smiling, "I understand why you're worried about me, but… If I leave this idiot alone, he's going to get himself killed."

"Hey!"

"Shut up, you know I'm right," she shot back, glancing at him briefly before turning to Gunzou. "Captain, I…" she began, trying to find the right words.

"It's okay, Takao, I understand," he said, smiling as he stepped forward, "You're part of his crew, so it's only right you two stick together."

"…Even though…" she said, already feeling like her heart was breaking. Gunzou seemed to understand her predicament perfectly, since he just stepped forward and hugged her.

"You'll be fine, Takao, and so will we," he told her, "Besides, you'll always be a member of the Blue Steel."

Trying not to let her tears fall, she returned the hug. When they finally stepped away, she actually found herself smiling. Because as painful as this was, she also knew this was something she _needed_ to do. Those creatures, the ELS, needed to be stopped. And if her leaving kept them from ever coming back, then she'd do it.

"Before you two go, you should take this," Iori said, offering a folded cloth to Avalon. It was made from a dark blue fabric, and even as he accepted it he wasn't entirely sure what it was.

"…And what's this?" he finally asked, looking at her in confusion.

"Every ship needs a flag," she replied, smiling, "I saw the symbol your organization uses, so I just built on it."

Unfolding the flag, Avalon found himself at a loss for words. She'd indeed stayed true to the original image, but she'd also improved on it in a way he found very fitting. The wings had much more detail now, with a second smaller pair below the first angled down. She had also made the bottom point longer before encircling it with two rings. Finally, she'd written something below it in a language he couldn't read. Looking at her, he arched an eyebrow at her.

"It's Greek," she explained, walking up next to him and pointing at the words, "You told me what your organization wanted to create, so I thought it was fitting. It says, 'Peace Everlasting.'"

Looking at her, Avalon found himself at a loss. He'd never expected something like this, and it made him regret leaving immensely.

"…Thank you, Iori," he said, pulling her into a one-armed hug. Turning to the others, he said, "Thank you. Really, this is…"

"Just be sure to keep kicking their asses," Kyoukei said, giving him a thumbs up.

"I…" he began before looking at Takao. A part of him was screaming about how bad of an idea this was, but… He couldn't turn her down, not after everything that'd happened. " _We_ will," he amended, returning the gesture, "We will stop them, you have my word."

"Of course you will," 402 stated, startling him.

Turning around, he saw her standing next to the airlock with a small bag over her shoulder. She was also wearing what looked like a parka and beanie, which was…odd.

"…And just where do you think you're going?" he asked her, once again thoroughly confused.

"With you," she replied simply, "My Supreme Flagship is grateful for your assistance in subduing Hallelujah and his splinter forces. She also wishes to send a message to his superiors; they will not get away with harming the Fog."

"You…do realize that if you leave-?"

"Yes, I heard," 402 said, cutting him off as she shifted the bag, "Yamato was informed, and she consented. I am at your disposal, Captain."

Looking between her and Takao, Avalon tried not to sigh in frustration. It was one thing to have one of them coming along, but two?

"Wait, wait, _wait_!" Atago said, stepping between the two with her hands up, "You mean you're taking _two_ of us away?!"

"…I guess?" he said, not really knowing what else to say besides that.

"Absolutely not!" she exclaimed, "I'm not about to let you build some kind of harem with my sister, let alone one of the Supreme Flagship's personal submarines!"

"…Wha-?"

"It's not going to happen, I won't allow it!" she continued before walking over and standing next to 402.

"…No," Avalon said slowly, already seeing where this was going, "Atago, you're not-"

"Save your breath, pervert," she commanded, crossing her arms, "Someone needs to keep your tool in your pants. 402 doesn't know about human perversions, and my sister is clearly infatuated with you and not thinking clearly."

"I am not!" Takao exclaimed, turning a bright red.

"So, someone's going to have to keep a clear head," Atago continued, ignoring her sister as she continued to glare at Avalon, "This isn't up for debate."

"I…You…" he stammered before looking over at the Blue Steel for help.

Unfortunately, they looked just as helpless as he felt. With an explosive sigh and one hand running down his face, he decided to just roll with it. Clearly, Atago was just as stubborn as her sister, and considering how effectively he'd been able to argue with her his chances of winning here were slim to none. Walking back into the airlock, he waited for Takao to join them before turning to regard the 401's crew.

They didn't look as sad as he'd thought they'd be, but it was likely due to the hope they'd gained from this battle. For the first time in a long time, it seemed possible that there could be real cooperation between Humanity and the Fog. It would be interesting to see where this would go.

Sealing the airlock, he opened the inner door before heading straight for the control center. In spite of his misgivings, he was looking forward to how they would react to being in space.

* * *

It didn't take him long to take off, since the Container hadn't been used for the fight. Still, it had been interesting watching the three of them as they'd entered Trans-Am and rocketed into upper orbit. Atago especially looked a little ill, considering how pale she got. Thankfully, he didn't find out if Mental Models could actually vomit since they didn't spend a lot of time rattling around. Takao, on the other hand, looked excited as the sky got darker and the stars became more numerous. 402 looked…indifferent, which wasn't really a surprise. Although it was surprising that they had been standing the entire time without restraints, but that was likely due to their abilities as Mental Models.

Once they were in upper orbit, he disengaged the Trans-Am before setting course for the Ptolemaios. Thankfully, its transponder was still going strong, so the Fog hadn't shot it down yet. His concentration was broken shortly after as Takao leaned over him to look at the main screen closer.

"So, this is what it's like up in space?" she asked, her eyes wide in wonder.

"Pretty much," he replied before looking at her, "By the way…how are you all still standing?"

"We anchored ourselves to the floor," Atago explained as she took a few deep breaths.

"Oh, that's a shame."

"Why?"

"Because you're not experiencing one of the best parts of space," he explained, smirking at her.

Frowning, she undid the anchors on her feet before looking around expectantly. However, nothing happened, at least not until 402 went floating past her.

"Wha-?!" she exclaimed, flailing away from the smaller girl and unintentionally launching herself into the wall. The rebound sent her flying back towards 402, and the two of them then flew into the opposite wall.

"…And that's why you don't move suddenly in zero-gravity," Avalon said as he tried not to laugh.

Takao, on the other hand, wasn't as sensitive and burst out laughing even as she undid her own anchor and floated free. After doing a few spins, she seemed to be enjoying herself. That was something, he supposed. Returning his attention to the controls, he watched as they came up to the ship.

"Wow, that's your ship?" Takao asked, floating above him upside down, "It looks…different."

"You mean weird," Atago commented as she finally started to get the hang of moving around.

"…Is this what your people consider a warship?" 402 asked, also looking at it curiously.

"It's more of a carrier than an actual battleship," he explained as he brought the Container in to dock.

"What kind of weapons does it have?" Takao asked, already growing excited. She might actually get the chance to control a real space ship, which was more than she'd really hoped for.

"You'll see," he said cryptically as he pushed himself out of the chair. Thanks to the modifications he'd made before coming to this Realm, he wouldn't have to move the Exia into the ship just to provide power. "Alright, let's go," he told them as he led the way to the upper airlock.

This was another modification he'd made to the Container, and it would only operate when it was docked with the Ptolemaios. But, it would allow direct access in zero-gravity, so it was worth the potential weakness. As he once again entered the empty halls, he found that he was getting better at blocking out the old memories. Of course, it also helped that he had others with him this time. Regardless of his misgivings, and there were plenty, this might not be such a bad thing.

Ignoring their questions, he led the way to the bridge. He also made it a point to ignore a particular problem regarding Takao and Atago. As…interesting as it was having them along, they probably should have thought about wearing something besides skirts when coming up to space. Of course, it wasn't like he was looking on purpose, but it was a little hard not to notice when one of them did some sort of flip right in front of him. Atago, at least, seemed aware of this since she clutched onto hers with one hand the entire way. Takao, on the other hand, seemed too distracted by the lack of gravity to care. She was smiling like a little kid, bouncing from the walls and giggling every so often. It was actually kind of cute to watch.

When they finally reached the bridge, he settled into the pilot's seat while saying, "You three are probably going to enjoy this next bit."

"…You're going to launch us to another world, aren't you?" 402 asked as she took the co-pilot's chair.

"Well, yes and no," he explained as he turned the ship around and began moving away from the planet, "There's somewhere we have to go to first."

"And just where is that?" Atago asked, her suspicion returning rather quickly.

"…It's better if others explain that," he said, smiling sheepishly, "I don't understand most of how it works, and I've had a while to try and come to grips with it."

"Wait…you don't understand how your own ship moves between realities?" Takao asked, her previous glee gone, "How could you have created something you don't understand?"

"I never said it was my technology," he replied as he powered the Tether. Activating the communicator, he said, "Nexus Control, this is the Ptolemaios. The Tether is charged and standing by."

*…Ptolemaios, we're detecting additional lifeforms. Please confirm.*

"Confirmed," Avalon replied, even as he braced himself for transit, "I am heavy three life forms from this world. Be advised, they are willing."

*…Acknowledged, Ptolemaios. Commencing Recall.*

"What the heck are they talking about?" Atago asked, looking between Avalon and the screen, "'Recall?' What do they mean by recall? What's going on?!"

"Just watch," he advised as a point of light appeared before the ship.

It quickly grew before lines spread out from it. Within moments, the space in front of the ship seemed to warp and bend away from the center, leaving a well of light that was slowly pulling on the ship.

"Avalon…" Takao said uncertainly, clinging to the captain's chair.

"Just hang on," he told them as he coaxed the ship into the light.

It didn't take much before they were in its grip, and Takao felt her fingers dig into the chair as she squeezed her eyes shut. She felt like she was being compressed and stretched at the same time. Whatever this was, it was using unnatural forces to transport them. It didn't exactly hurt, but it was far from comfortable. Just as she thought she was about to find out what barfing in zero-gravity was like, the feeling stopped.

"Oh, wow…" Atago muttered, causing Takao to open her eyes again.

What she saw took her breath away. They were floating in a murky void filled with clouds of blue, yellow and green. In the distance, she saw what almost looked like lightening arching between some of the clouds. But what really caught her attention was the massive station in front of them. It was designed like a top; wide in the middle and narrowing to points at the top and bottom. It was made of some kind of metal that seemed to reflect the natural light of this place back, and she saw the sparkles of millions of lights all along its surface. Arrayed around it were thousands of asteroids, and even a few dwarf planets. And flying around them and the station were dozens of ships, some of which she scarcely recognized and others baffled her completely.

Looking at their various reactions, Avalon decided that this might have been worth it after all.

"Welcome to the Nexus Station," he said as he guided the ship towards the center of the station.

* * *

 **Pulled into a world they hardly understand, the Mental Models struggle to adjust to their new roles while taking in the sights. Meanwhile, Avalon devotes himself to a new pursuit.**

 **Next chapter; Gabriel**

 **In the world between worlds, impossible loses all meaning.**


	14. Chapter 14

**Gabriel**

Bringing the ship in to dock, Avalon tried not to laugh at the looks the three Mental Models had. Atago was steadfastly refusing to be impressed after her initial outburst. But considering how her gaze wandered over everything, he wasn't sold on it. Takao, however, was acting like a little kid as she looked at the various ships. The one that seemed to grab her attention the most was a larger ship in the berth next to them. It was several times bigger than the Ptolemaios, shaped kind of like a T and clearly designed for war.

402 was the only real outlier, since she didn't look terribly impressed. But, at the same time Avalon was sure she was taking in all of the sights considering how intently she was staring at various things. He also noticed that she was clutching the strap of her bag tighter.

"What kind of ship is that?" Takao asked as she pointed at the larger warship.

"A Battlecruiser," he replied as the ship was finally secured, "Something I don't get to touch, since it's not from my Realm."

"But, that's no fun!" she protested, "Why can't we get something like that? What about your people's warships?"

"…There aren't any left," he said slowly as he got out of the chair. Another thing they'd learned was that this station was generating its own gravity, so they couldn't float around anymore.

After several turns, they came to the main airlock as a transparent bridge sealed to the other side. After cycling through, he couldn't help but smile again as Takao looked through the walls at the other ships around them. The dock contained everything from single-person transports and dropships up to warships that made their neighbor look small. The firepower gathered here was something he'd given up calculating a long time ago, so Avalon just accepted it as normal as they continued walking.

Once they reached the end, the doors cycled open to reveal something Takao could only think of as organized chaos. There were dozens of species moving about a surprisingly open space, moving crates and other materials around for purposes she could only guess at. Some of what she saw looked like standard munitions for warships, but once again she was also seeing things that were completely foreign to her. For example; she saw several small probes with a massive eye in their center moving several large blue crystals without actually touching them. What they were and where they were going were things she could only guess at, but it was still fascinating to watch.

At any other time, she probably would have spent hours just watching everything going on. But Avalon put one hand on her shoulder and pushed her forward, earning him a moan of protest as she tried to keep watching.

"Avalon…"

"We have things we need to do," he said without loosening his grip.

Atago seemed grateful to be moving on, considering the nervous looks she was giving all of the different species in their immediate area. Before she could really speak up, he led them to what appeared to be one of the main control areas. It was a circular station with dozens of holographic screens arrayed around it. The console also had a myriad of physical controls and keyboards, but that wasn't what drew their attention. Even 402 couldn't help but stare at what was sitting before them.

The creature was sitting on a large cushion with its four legs folded up underneath it. Even then, it was likely more than seven feet tall. It also had four arms, which were currently manipulating various controls and screens as it spoke in what they could only assume was its language. Its skin was tan, and they could see two rather large teeth that almost looked like tusks sticking out of its mouth from the lower jaw. It was also wearing some kind of helmet with several lenses folded up near the top. Finishing off this rather absurd appearance was what looked like a pipe sticking out of its mouth with smoke lightly wafting from it. It was, without a doubt, the oddest thing they had ever seen.

Taking his hand off of Takao's shoulder, Avalon approached the creature while the Mental Models stood back and watched in a mixture of awe, awkwardness and slight intimidation. How something like that came to be was beyond any of them, and Takao and Atago were willing to bet it could be fairly dangerous if provoked. It didn't help that while it had a rather large belly, it was also very muscular.

"Jay," Avalon greeted lightly, causing Atago and Takao to tense up as it turned to regard them.

The eyes just added to the picture of utter _wrong_ before them; while appropriately sized for the creature, they appeared to be solid black with a blue dot where the pupil likely was. Taking a long drag from its pipe, it blew the smoke to the side before tapping out the ash in a nearby tray.

"Avalon Blade," it rumbled slowly in a gravelly, masculine voice while leaning forward and propping one arm on the console, "What do you need now?"

"What, I can't just say high to the Forgemaster?"

Leaning further forward so they were practically eye-to-eye, it continued, "In all the time you have been here, you have never bothered with small-talk. Why would that change now?"

"…Because I felt guilty?" Avalon offered.

They just stared at each other for several tense seconds, and after a while Takao started to worry they were going to see just how strong this creature was. And then, after all of that build-up, it simply laughed. Leaning back, it rested one hand on its stomach as it just laughed hard. Watching this unfold, it seemed like Avalon was the only other person privy to whatever the hell was happening.

"Got it out of your system yet?" Avalon asked, crossing his arms and looking amused.

"I apologize, but you are just too serious sometimes," 'Jay' replied as he calmed down, "But truly, why are you here? You know I can make the repairs without you looking over my shoulder."

"It's not that," he said, gesturing to the Mental Models behind him, "It's just I thought you should meet, considering they're going to be working with me."

"That is a little presumptuous, don't you think?" Jay asked as he finally looked at the three girls properly. Reaching up, he folded one of the lenses down before adjusting a small dial near it. "Hmm… artificial constructs made from cellular nano-machines, and based around a quantum core. That is an interesting choice of crew, even if they lack a certain amount of creativity in their design."

"And what's that supposed to mean?!" Atago demanded, briefly forgetting she was addressing something much, _much_ bigger than her, "Just who do you think you are to judge us, huh?!"

Looking at Avalon with something close to pity, he returned his gaze to them as he replied, "I am Aval'Jay Noresh, Forgemaster and Chief Engineer for this dock. I have lived for at least four hundred years, little construct, and I have seen your kind in more variations than I care to remember. So, yes, I can safely say your form lacks a kind of creativity. Any species could imagine creating superficial replicas of their own kind."

"We're much more than that!"

"I know," he said evenly, bringing her up short, "You are related to the 'Fog,' correct?"

"…H-How did…?" she stammered, now completely lost.

"One of your kind came here not too long ago from another iteration of your Realm," he told her, turning to regard one of his screens, "Apparently, she was brought here after her world was destroyed. She said something about a war spiraling out of control and the misuse of Graviton weapons, but I honestly wasn't listening too closely."

"Wh…what?"

"More importantly," Jay said, turning his attention back to Avalon, "You are going to need to go see the doctor, Avalon. That arm is not in great shape. Just how long have you been going with the bare minimum?"

"…Well, you see…" he replied, looking nervously away, "I just thought that it would be fine if I fixed it myself. It _is_ really durable, after all."

"The misaligned neural connections say otherwise," Jay retorted before returning to his work, "I will have your machines repaired in short order, Blade. Just let me know if you actually need me."

"Thanks, Jay," Avalon said as he turned and led the way towards the back of the docks.

After they'd walked out of earshot, Atago quickly moved to catch up with Avalon. There were just too many questions too soon for her to ignore.

"Okay, who was that?" she asked before shaking her head, "Actually, let's start with _what_ was that?"

"Jay is a Rel'Kesh," Avalon told them as he waved his hand over a control panel. The doors before them parted silently, revealing a network of interconnected walkways that were also bustling with activity. "The closest comparison for humans would be a kind of cross between an Orc and Centaur," he explained even as he led them to one of the cars, "Intelligent, strong and with long life spans. They grew to inhabit their entire star system in a relatively short period of time, and were well on their way to mastering interstellar travel."

"If they're so great, then why's he here?"

"…That's not my place to say," he said slowly as he led the way down some of the smaller paths, "Let's just say that here, my position isn't that unique."

From the tone, she could tell that just touching that subject was almost too much for him. She'd heard from the others about his confrontation with Kongou after they'd recovered him, but a part of her still felt his tale to be too outlandish. Even after seeing what she had of this station, she had a hard time believing him. There was no way that a people like his could have been wiped out, not by those ELS things. True, they'd given the Fog an actual challenge, but that had only been possible due to clever tricks. There was no way they could have stood up to them in a real fight, and by all accounts Avalon's people were about as powerful as the Fog. For them to lose to something that seemed so weak was questionable at best.

After a while, she noticed that he was leading them to a building built into the far wall. In fact, she saw that there were multiple buildings built into the wall, each on a slightly different level from the rest and all of them linked with the same walkways. The one building he was heading for specifically looked like two structures merged into one. The main structure appeared to be a sphere with the door built into the 'middle,' while immediately to its side was a large rectangular structure that likely had multiple levels. There were also several glowing signs outside it in various alien scripts, but the one over the door was the easiest to recognize; a red cross on a white background.

Stopping at the door, he turned to address the others. "Okay, no matter what happens, try to stay calm," he advised.

"Why, what's going to happen?" Takao asked.

"Well-"

"Avalon!" cried a feminine voice from inside. Before he could do more than grimace, something shot out of the door and grabbed him before pulling him back inside. Crying out in shock, Takao quickly pushed the doors open to follow only to freeze in shock.

The being holding Avalon was clearly female, considering the rather voluptuous chest she was currently suffocating him with. But what was really concerning was that, while her upper body appeared somewhat human, below her waist and flowing out from her green dress were what appeared to be tentacles. Each of them ended in something of a bulb with four lines down it, and as they watched several of them split along those lines to reveal grippers. All of this was further compounded by her dark blue skin, and the fact that her 'hair' looked more like it was some kind of vegetation. She also appeared to have some sort of collar around her neck with a large bulb on each side.

Currently, she was holding Avalon with two surprisingly human arms and at least three of her… legs? Takao wasn't really sure what to call them just yet. At the moment, however, she seemed content to gush over the boy in her arms.

"Oh, it's been too long!" she said, ignoring his muffled please, "I was so worried when you took off. I told you it wasn't safe to just run off without taking the proper precautions, and look at you now! All beaten up and ragged."

"…Carile, please!" he said after finally managing to push himself far enough away, "I need to breathe!"

"Huh? Oh, right!" she said, releasing him and sliding back while looking slightly embarrassed. Finally noticing the girls that had entered the building, she quickly brightened up again. "Oh, who's this?" she asked as she came over to examine them, "Av, have you been making friends?"

"…I guess?" he said before taking a breath, "This is Takao, Atago and 402, Mental Models from the Fleet of Fog." Gesturing to the strange woman, he continued, "Everyone, this is Carile Naseeh, Head Medical Advisor. She's also a master surgeon, psychiatrist and generally decent person."

"Oh, stop, you're making me blush," Carile said as her cheeks seemed to turn purple, "I'm not that great, really."

"Considering you try to suffocate me every time I come by, I think I can agree to that."

"But it's only because you hardly ever come by!"

"Because you always try to smother me!"

Before things could devolve any further, 402 walked up to Carile and started staring at her intently. Noticing this, Carile slowly leaned over so she was looking at the Mental Model.

"Hello there, dear," she greeted warmly, "Is there something you need?"

"…You're a fish," 402 said, actually sounding confused.

For the briefest of moments, Atago and Takao were worried that 402 was about to get launched out the door and sent plummeting to whatever ground lay bellow the walkway network outside. After all, it's what they would do had she said it to either of them. However, rather than lashing out, Carile just giggled while placing one hand on 402's head.

"Well, my people did evolve on an ocean world," she said, "We couldn't really live on land, now could we?"

"…How can you be a surgeon with these limbs?" 402 asked, motioning to Carile's tentacles.

"They don't look like much, do they?" Carile asked, bringing one up for 402 to examine. She then opened it before flexing the individual digits. "You people have an animal called an octopus, correct?" she explained, "My biology is similar. I don't have a whole lot of bones besides my skull, ribs and physical arms. Even those last ones are only because of genetic modification; not everything here can be used by suckers."

"So, you're literally all muscle?" Atago asked, actually sounding curious now.

"Carile can, and has, moved several times her own weight," Avalon explained as he stepped forward before pulling his jacket off, "But, before we get further off-track; I need you for something, Carile."

"Oh, Avalon, it's so sudden!" she said suddenly, shooting straight up as she brought her hands to her cheeks, "I'm not sure my heart is ready, this is just moving too fast!"

"That's not what I meant!" he retorted, already imagining how Atago will interpret this, "My arm's messed up, and I need you to take a look at it."

"Oh, that is serious," Carile said, suddenly dropping her previous tone as she moved over and took his prosthetic in her hands before gently moving it, "Yes, I can already tell it's taken more than it can handle. You really need to get better about maintaining this, Avalon."

"Yeah, yeah," he said tiredly, "Can you fix it? I have a lot of things to do."

"I can, but it will take time."

"Then it appears I have come at the right time," Takao heard from behind her, causing her to whirl around. And what she saw literally took her breath away.

The only thing she could think of was that she was seeing a literal angel. Her skin was white, flawless and smooth, her hair golden. The robes she wore were a pure white with gold laced through it in geometric patterns and alien symbols. Her eyes were a deep green, and they held an absolutely gentle gaze. In fact, everything about this being just radiated peace and kindness. She could never imagine someone like this hurting another person, or ever allowing them to be hurt.

"Gabriel, I wasn't-" Avalon began, actually sounding nervous.

"I had heard you were bringing in potential recruits," she said evenly, regarding each Model in turn, "I wished to speak with them, and with you should time permit it. May I?"

"He was just about to get a long overdue checkup," Carile said, her eyes lowered so she was looking at the ground.

"Then I will speak with you when you are healed, Avalon Blade," she said before turning and motioning for the Mental Models to follow her, "Shall we?"

"S-sure," Takao stammered, shooting a glance at Avalon.

He was her only guide for what to do here, and she really didn't want to get separated from him now. However, he just smiled and nodded. Whoever this was, he clearly trusted her. However, he seemed less trusting of the woman that was steadily leading him deeper into the building with a smile that was just a tad _too_ happy.

Once outside, Takao took a look around and noticed that all of the nearby walkways had emptied. The nearest people were a good distance away, and they seemed to be going out of their way to put distance between themselves and Gabriel.

"Now, then," she said, turning to the three Models and smiling, "Why don't we start with why you decided to follow one of my Guardians here."

"Your what?" Atago asked, doing her best to not be impressed with this woman.

"Oh, my…" she said, looking at them with something almost like… pity? "He hasn't told you anything, has he?"

When they all nodded, she just smiled and shook her head.

"You will have to forgive him, but… Avalon finds it rather hard to open up to people."

"He seemed to trust you well enough," Takao replied.

"Well, I was the one to save his life," Gabriel said, smiling at them, "I believe that earned me some good standing. Now, to answer the questions I'm sure are plaguing you."

Motioning to their surroundings, she finally gave them a glimpse of her hand. It actually looked more like a bird's claw than an actual hand, and seeing it shattered Takao's assumptions as to what Gabriel was.

"You are standing within the Nexus station," she began, "It has existed since long before my tenure as Overseer, and will be here long after I have returned to the cosmic cycle. Within its walls are millions of people from thousands of different worlds. All of them, refugees from failed Realm Threads and war-torn planets. Among them are the Guardians; people like Avalon Blade who are dispatched to fight against the chaos."

"How can you fight chaos?" Atago asked, now completely lost, "Or are you telling me it's actually a thing, too?"

"If it were that simple, we'd have driven it back by now," Gabriel replied, "No, what I refer to as chaos is the reckless mingling of Realms. Putting life into Realms where it has no right to be, and twisting what is already there into something it was never meant to become. Such a waste of life is something I find unforgivable." Turning to them, she does something completely unexpected; she bows. "I am truly sorry that our conflict has spilled into your Realm," she apologized, "And while I am glad that it was contained, I am also deeply sorry for the lives that were lost because of it."

"Uh…It's alright…" Takao managed, now feeling incredibly uncomfortable.

"Hold on, back up," Atago said suddenly, stepping forward, "You said your tenure, right? So, this station isn't yours?"

"Oh, no, my people could never create something like this," Gabriel said, "We were much more focused on our spiritual needs, so we never made it off our home world." Turning to regard the vast space before them again, she continued, "In truth, only one may know who built this place. However, he has since locked that knowledge away for the sake of everyone here. The prevailing theory is some highly advanced race stumbled across a way to travel between Realms, and that they constructed this station to act as a resupply point."

"So, where did they go?" Atago pressed.

"No one knows," was Gabriel's reply, "Most think they died out naturally. Others believe that they fell victim to some of the horrors that lurk in the darker Threads." Turning to face them fully again, she said, "However, that is not what is important for you now. You came here to join Avalon's ship and aid him in his fight, correct?"

"Of course we did," Takao said, "I left everything to come here and put an end to those things. I'm not about to back out now."

"The ELS have disgraced the Fog," 402 continued, "They have earned our wrath, and I will see it carried out."

"And I'm not about to let that pervert have his way with either of them," Atago added, only to have Takao smack the back of her head.

"Well… I cannot say that I agree with your assertions, nor do I suspect they are the real reason you chose to come," Gabriel replied, smiling even as Atago glared at her sister. "But, you must understand something," she continued, growing serious, "Accepting the mantel of Guardian is not a decision you should make lightly. If you do accept, then the burden of protecting the life of an entire Realm will fall to you. Billions of lives will depend on your actions, both on and off the battlefield. The mark you leave will forever alter the fate of the people you interact with. Knowing this, do you still wish to serve?"

Hearing what it actually meant, Takao couldn't help but gulp at the immensity of the task. She'd just assumed that Avalon and his comrades would be simple warriors; people sent in to destroy an enemy before returning home. But it was clearly so much bigger than that. She would have an impact on an entire _planet_ with everything she said and did, and even with the things she _didn't_ do. It was a level of responsibility so far beyond what she'd been used to before, she wasn't quite sure she could properly grasp it.

"You do not need to give me an answer now," Gabriel said, smiling again as she placed one hand on Takao's shoulder and the other on Atago. Surprisingly, it was fairly warm. "Take your time," she advised, "Speak with the others here. Not everyone is a Guardian, nor do we need them to be. This is a serious decision, and you should not rush into it." Stepping back, she returned her hands to the insides of her sleeves as she said, "Until we meet again."

Turning, she actually stepped into the open air only to have the fabric on her back ripple. Before she even began to fall, three pairs of wings unfolded through slits in her robes before carrying her towards the upper levels. Watching her retreating form, Takao couldn't help but gape in awe.

"…She's a strange one," 402 commented as she watched the retreating form.

"Name one thing here that's _not_ strange," Atago retorted.

Takao found she had to agree. She'd known this would be a whole new experience from the start, but she hadn't quite appreciated just how different it would be until now. And Avalon came here regularly, interacting with these people. Glancing back at the entrance, she wondered just what other strange things were in store for them.

* * *

"They seem like nice girls," Carile said as she worked.

She'd opened several of the panels on Avalon's arm while he lay suspended in a gravity well. He'd stripped down to his underclothes, leaving his still-healing wounds exposed. Even as Carile's main arms grabbed tools and worked on the interior of his arm, her tentacles were gathering other equipment and setting it up around her. Two of them were even cleaning one of his more nasty cuts, smearing a clear jell into and around the wound. He knew it had some kind of anesthetic mixed in, since anything else would burn like hell.

"I guess," he replied half-heartedly as his mind wandered, "I'm still not sure this is a good idea. And now they can't go home, even if they decide not to join me."

"Oh, I doubt they're going to take it back," she said with a small smile, "They don't seem the type to sit back and watch."

"This your womanly intuition or your psychiatric experience talking?"

"Both," she said, her smile growing bigger before she looked at him seriously, "And regardless of how things go, I'm glad you're gathering a crew."

"…Yeah," was all he had to say as he looked away.

Truth be told, he really didn't want to talk about it; at least, not until he'd actually figured out his own feelings on it. For her part, Carile just looked at him with pity and concern. She'd seen this so many times, and yet it still made her heart break each and every time. She knew about the front he put up, how he acted like everything was normal. And while she was encouraged by the fact that he could at least talk briefly about what had happened, the fact remained that he had yet to really deal with it. She sincerely hoped that he would be able to soon, because she'd seen these kinds of burdens break far too many people.

"Well, at the very least you'll gain some flexibility," she said as she realigned some of the connections in his arm, "No matter how good you are alone, having more people is always better."

"Says the woman who keeps the bare-minimum of staff," he retorted dryly, "Seriously, aren't buildings like this supposed to have, like, 20 or 30 people staffing it?"

"If it was a hospital built by humans, for humans, then yes," she said evenly as she closed up his prosthetic. Waving her hand over a series of controls, she gently lowered him to the ground before deactivating the gravity field. "Now, then, your arm should be in working order again," she said as he stood up before flexing his left arm to test, "I'd tell you not to do whatever you did again, but…"

"But you know better," he said, looking at her and smirking.

"However," she added, her voice going from light to stern in a heartbeat, "Your other injuries have yet to properly heal. You clearly didn't spend enough time in your healing chamber, so unless you wish to return to it and be immobile, you _will_ spend the next several days doing light duty."

"…I had other-"

"Then push them to a later date," she said sternly, inching closer and glaring for emphasis, "You were several hard maneuvers away from tearing open the gash in your side, Avalon. And this time, it may very well have caused you to bleed out. _You will take it easy._ _Am. I. Clear_?"

He opened his mouth to protest, a dozen things coming to the front of his mind. He didn't have the time to rest, not after what'd happened. He needed to learn more about the ELS. He needed to train Takao, Atago and 402 so they would be able to assist him. He needed to make sure the Ptolemaios was fully stocked for the next excursion, as well as making sure the Exia would be ready for combat. Not to mention figuring out just what this other ability he possessed was, and just how far he might be able to take it. There was too much to do to just sit on his ass for a few days.

But…one look into Carile's eyes told him this was not up for debate. There was only one person on this entire station that could override her, and he sincerely doubted Gabriel would take his side in this. And if half of the stories about Carile were true, he really, _really_ didn't want to piss her off. Besides, he did feel more than a little sore after that last battle.

"…Fine," he said with a sigh as he started pulling his clothes on, "I'll avoid anything strenuous. But, I do still have to make a trip."

"If it's anywhere off the station, then it's not going to happen," she said, already moving to block the door.

"I need to speak with Index," he said without turning around, although he could imagine her reaction.

After pulling his shirt on, he turned to see that he was right; she had grown very still as she looked at him with a mix of fear and sadness.

"Ar-are you sure?" she asked, clutching her hands in front of her, "That's…not something to take lightly… Not to mention the stress on your-"

"I swear I will only talk with…it," he said as he tossed his coat over one shoulder, "I'm not about to agree to any of its experiments if I can help it. Besides, Takao will be there, and I'm pretty sure she's still in an over-protective mode."

"Well, young girls will be young girls," Carile said with a small laugh, "If I didn't know any better, I'd think you were cheating on me."

"…I'm just going to ignore that," he said quietly as he made his way to the door.

"Avalon?" Carile called out as he was about to leave the room, causing him to turn and look at her, "Welcome back."

He just smirked at her as he finally left. Pulling his coat on as he stepped back outside, he saw that Atago and Takao had made themselves comfortable on a nearby bench. 402, meanwhile, was looking at the other buildings built into the walls and the different species moving between them.

"So, she fixed you up, then?" Takao asked as she got up and walked over.

"Yeah, she did," he replied, lifting his left arm to prove it, "You know, one of these days I'm going to break this damned thing."

"I'm surprised it hasn't already happened," Atago commented from where she sat.

"So…how was your chat with Gabriel?" he asked, looking between them as Takao shifted nervously.

"It was…interesting," she finally said, "She told us things I hadn't really considered before and… It's a much bigger decision than we thought, isn't it? Joining you and becoming a Guardian…"

Looking down, he wasn't sure if he should be mad at Gabriel for dumping it on them, because he knew that she did, or grateful that they at least knew more about why he was hesitant to bring them along. Making that kind of a decision wasn't easy, except for maybe a few of the Guardians here. Granted, he was part of that exception, but his situation had been completely different.

"I…understand if any of you are having second thoughts," he said slowly, "But…you should know that you can't go back now. The moment we were Recalled, you would have been flagged in the systems here."

"So, if we don't go with you then we'd be trapped on this station," Atago surmised, standing up and dusting herself off, "And you wonder why I didn't want you to go, Takao."

"You didn't know, either!" Takao shot back before turning back to Avalon, "But… Well, this changes things…"

"We will need more before we can make a final decision," 402 said from off to the side before turning to look Avalon in the eye, "Regardless of what they decide, I have my orders, Captain."

"Well… if it's more information you want, then my next errand will probably clear a few things up," he said as he began walking again, "Although, I _really_ hate going to that…place."

"…Okay, I'll bite," Atago said with a huff, even as she and the others followed, "Why do you hate it?"

"It's… hard to describe…" he said slowly as he stopped before a lift. After waiting for the doors to open, they stepped in as he continued, "I need to speak with a being called 'Index.' It's the most intelligent being here, by far, but…"

"But?"

"It'll be easier for you to see it," he said finally as he hit one of the buttons for an upper floor.

As they rode in silence, Avalon tried to stamp out his anxiety over what was coming. He'd already made a deal with Index, so this shouldn't be too hard. But… what he was going to ask for was likely to be much more costly than his standing request, and he wasn't looking forward to what Index would demand in return for such information. At the same time, he couldn't see a good end if he _didn't_ do this. In the end, it wasn't that much of a choice; suffer a minor irritation for potentially game-changing information, or walk away and hope the ELS didn't escalate things.

' _Yeah, that's not likely to happen,'_ he thought as the doors opened, revealing the interior of the Habitat.

* * *

 **Determined to understand his enemy, Avalon makes a deal that will cost him more than he bargained for. At the same time, he's forced to face something he'd much rather avoid.**

 **Next chapter; The Archive**

 **In all of existence, there is always one constant; nothing is gained for free.**

* * *

A/N; Did I just check off several character tropes with this chapter, as well as pulling from other media for some of what they saw? Yes, yes I did. Do I feel ashamed? Not one bit. In all seriousness, I do hope you can bear with me for this bit, cause I'm probably going to exercise my inner nerd with some of the individuals they see and/or meet while on the station. And in case you're thinking it; no, my Index is not the same as the girl from A Certain Magical Index.


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N; Okay, let me just say this before we get started; I'm really, REALLY sorry it took so long to get this out. Just moved from overnight to a day shift in one day, and it really kicked my ass. However, as I've said before, I will not let this story, or the future ones, peter out and die. I may go for long periods without uploading new chapters, but that will usually be due to factors out of my control or my insistence to make sure what I'm posting meets my own standards. Also, I hope the little tidbit I put at the end makes up for the wait.**

 **With that said, on to the Chapter!**

* * *

 **The Archive**

Standing on her seat, Takao didn't bother hiding her delight as she pressed her face against the window. Avalon had taken them to a small port where several transports were parked. They were little more than large rectangles with a glass cover over them and plenty of seats for the occupants. It had seemed a bit large for the four of them, but after seeing some of the other species that lived there she understood the need. Rather than sharing it, Avalon got them their own transport before typing in their destination in the computer at the front. The engine pods on the corners hummed softly as it took off before turning and setting out.

Looking down at the Habitat's interior, Takao saw many, _many_ more species than she had in the dock. They walked on the streets between the buildings, flew about in their own transports of varying models, and more than a few flew around under their own power. It was a sight she'd never expected to behold, and she knew that she would be replaying this experience later that evening to catch details she undoubtedly missed the first time. 402 was also peering at their surroundings, her previously blank expression giving way to something similar to wonder.

She was a spy submarine, after all, so the shear wealth of information presented to her must have been intoxicating. Atago, meanwhile, was sitting in her seat with her arms crossed as she glanced outside every now and then. She had seemingly reverted back to her 'I don't care' mode, either out of reflex to their utterly foreign surroundings or in an attempt to spite Avalon. She was willing to bet it was the former, since she couldn't see any reason Atago would continue to hate him.

After several minutes of traveling in relative silence, Atago finally turned to Avalon. "So, what makes this place we're going to uncomfortable for you?" she asked.

"…Because it's…dangerous…" he replied after a while, looking out the window at the passing buildings.

"How? You're just going to see one person."

"Index isn't a person, at least not in the conventional sense," he told them, leaning forward and bracing his elbows on his legs, "It's…more like your kind, but rather than emulating organic life it's embraced its artificial nature. But, that's not what makes it dangerous…"

"Then what does?" Takao asked, now also curious as she turned to look at him.

"…Are you familiar with the legends of the Sirens?" he asked, looking at each of them.

"Supernatural beings that would take the form of beautiful women," 402 replied, "They would lure humans to their deaths with their songs."

"What does human mythology have to do with this?" Atago asked incredulously, arching an eyebrow at him.

"Because they would lure people in with the promise of pleasure," he replied, "Index and its Observers are similar. They maintain the Archive, a repository of knowledge from all of the Realms they have observed. They know things that could be considered incredibly valuable, and they will undoubtedly try to entice you into making a deal with that knowledge."

"And just what could they know that's so important?"

"Because of the nature of their work, they probably know most of the outcomes we will face," he said, looking down, "It's likely they know what I'll face in the future, and whether I'll win or not. They probably know most of the possible outcomes for each of you, too, but that knowledge comes at a price."

Looking up, he tried to impress the seriousness of the situation onto them as he spoke. "To gain any of Index's knowledge requires service to its cause. Even with all of the Observers, they can only gather information from a fraction of the Realms at a time. This is why Index will send people out on missions to gather important data in return for telling them what they want to know. If you're not careful, it will convince you to go somewhere you really shouldn't go, or do something you shouldn't. Entire Realms have been destroyed as a result of its… 'tasks.'"

"If it's so dangerous to deal with this…being," Atago said, resting her head on one hand, "Then why hasn't anyone removed it, or at least enforced stricter rules?"

"There's been many attempts, believe me," he replied, leaning back with a small smirk, "The problem is that Index sits towards the top of the power structure around here. Depending on who you ask, it's either just as powerful as Gabriel or completely removed from her authority. I'm not sure which scares me more."

"…So, why are we going there, then?" Takao asked, trying to steer the conversation into a more productive route.

"I have a standing agreement with it in regards to the Realms I visit," Avalon replied, pulling a drive from his pocket, "In exchange for whatever data I gather, Index will supply a report on that particular Realm. It's more for my peace of mind than anything else, but it's still useful. However, I'm going to have to ask it for more."

"…This is about the ELS, isn't it?" 402 asked, already seeing where this was probably going.

"I can't afford to keep getting blind-sided by them," he said, looking down, "I need to know how they're operating like they are. In my world, they never had a central controller like they do now. And they _certainly_ weren't using people like they have been. Something's changed, and I need to know what it was and just how many different personalities it's using."

"…And just what is that going to cost?" Takao asked hesitantly, dreading the possible answers.

"…I don't know."

After that, they rode in silence. After several more minutes, the transport pulled up to a floating platform before landing on the outskirts. In the center was a pair of massive arms that curled towards each other, and suspended between them was an energy field that distorted the air around it. Standing at a podium next to the structure was something she could only describe as a droid. It was humanoid in shape, but the skin was metallic and it had a single camera in its angular head as its 'eye.' The body was also a lot of sharp angles and flat surfaces, with the limbs appearing to be rather thin and fragile.

As the approached, it turned to regard them as the camera focused on them. A part of her realized she was being scanned, and rather than raising any more defenses she allow it to happen. This was probably some sort of security unit, trying to determine if they were a threat.

"Ah, Master Blade," it said in a synthesized British voice, surprising her, "I see you've brought company with you this time. Will they be accompanying you into the Archives?"

"Yes, Mitch, they will be," he said as 'Mitch' worked a few of the controls on his console.

"I'm…not showing any active crew for the Ptolemaios," Mitch said after a few moments.

"Temporary passes, then," Avalon replied, "They may end up joining later. Until then, I'm keeping an eye on them."

"I believe the human term is 'baby-sitting,'" the droid said as it hit a button and the gate hummed with power, "Very well, I will allow it. However…" At this point, it turned to the three girls, saying, "Do not touch anything without Index's _expressed_ _permission_. I will not have hooligans running around upsetting their work. Am I understood?"

"Y-yeah," Takao replied, actually a little nervous at its tone. She'd thought it was just some droid, but it clearly had a developed personality.

Waving at the gate, it said, "Welcome to the Archives, then."

Stepping through the gate was…an experience. It was cold and it flowed in seemingly random directions, almost like stepping through a wall of water. But she was completely dry when they came out the other side, and a quick glance showed they weren't in the Habitat anymore, or at least not anywhere near where they had been before. Before them were truly massive servers and shelves, filled with a wealth of information she could only begin to guess at. Floating between them and attending to them were a myriad of different drones; some with manipulators that they used to shift books and scrolls around, while others were scanning the servers with beams of light.

"Oh, wow…" she said, slowly spinning in place as she looked around. The higher she looked, the more she saw. There were dozens of levels to this place, and there were even a number of shelves and servers that were floating on anti-gravity units. Here and there were people of many different races, some of them wearing identical robes while the rest appeared to be searching for various things from among the shelves.

"…I could spend the rest of my operational life in here," 402 said suddenly as she looked at the servers.

"And you'd probably only ever scratch the surface," a new voice replied. When they turned around, they were relatively surprised to see another human. He had blonde hair and was also wearing the same white robes she'd seen on several others in the Archive. Although, now that they were closer Takao noticed that there was a stylized golden eye embroidered on the front right side of it.

Turning to 401, he smiled warmly as he said, "There are many artificial people that work in this place, and even they do not fully know what the Archives hold. And they've been here far longer than you, little one." Turning to Avalon, he looked the other man up and down before his smile grew broader. "It's good to see you again, Avalon," he said as he stepped forward

"Allan," Avalon greeted warmly, clasping the other man's forearm firmly as he returned the smile, "I didn't think we'd run into you."

"I hope Mitch didn't give you too much trouble," Allan said, looking at Takao and Atago.

"Nothing I couldn't handle," he replied with a wave.

"I suppose you will want your report," Allan said, reaching into his robes and pulling out a tablet.

Handing over the drive he'd brought with him, Avalon accepted the tablet and stepped aside as he scrolled through the contents. Seizing the opening, Atago stepped forward and spoke up.

"So…what's with the droid outside?" she asked, "I'm sure you guys have others that could act as…whatever the heck he is."

"You'd be surprised how few people want to be associated with the Archives," Allan told her sadly, "And Mitch is…special."

"What's with his name, anyway?"

"Mitch is an M-11, Type 6 multi-purpose droid," Allan explained, "He and a number of other units came to the Nexus about twenty standard years ago. Their creators had died out when their planet's ecosystem collapsed, and rather than leaving them to rust and die Gabriel brought them here. I can assure you, he's self-aware and highly intelligent. Apparently, this is similar to his old position, so I think it gives him…comfort."

"So…what is Avalon reading?" Takao asked, looking over at him curiously.

"He didn't tell you?"

"Not with any real detail," Atago replied, sounding annoyed.

"He's reading what our Observers learned about the future of your Realm," Allan said, smiling when the three of them turned and stared at him.

"But…we haven't even been gone that long," Takao said, not following how someone could already know what would happen.

"He…never explained where this station is, did he?" Allan asked, shaking his head, "As I understand it, the Nexus exists within a bubble of space-time that the station itself generates. Don't ask me how; the technology is so far beyond me I'd need an observatory to spot it. But, thanks to that bubble we are able to exist apart from most of reality."

"…How?" Atago asked, now completely lost.

"Honestly, I couldn't tell you," Allan replied, "Science in general has never really been my forte. I'm more of an artist than a scientist or engineer."

"Well…shit," Avalon muttered, turning back to them, "Allan, are they sure about these outcomes?"

"As much as we can be, given current data," Allan replied, taking the tablet back.

"Wait, what is it?" Takao asked, looking between them in worry, "What happened?"

"War," Avalon told her, sighing, "Five years after we left, Gunzou managed to recruit more Mental Models to his cause while forming an uneasy truce with the Oriental Fleets. But his father wasn't willing to let that stand, so he launched an attack. Between that and the aftermath of Hallelujah's attack, the Fog fragmented. Some of them came to Gunzou's aid, others sided with the Scarlet fleet and the rest tried to stay out of the fighting."

"Surely Kongou and Nagato wouldn't have just let another fleet invade their territory," Atago commented, crossing her arms.

"Oh, they didn't," he replied, putting one hand on his head to steady his oncoming headache, "But, in spite of our joint-battle, Kongou and Nagato went into the fight without the support of the Blue Steel. And even though they had the numbers, against a superior tactician, it didn't mean much. In short, Nagato was soundly defeated and destroyed while Kongou was forced to retreat with the remnants of their forces. She eventually cooperated with Gunzou, but it still would have made a difference if they'd worked together from the start."

"…How bad did it get?" Takao asked tentatively.

"...They won in the end, but…it took a lot," he said, finding it hard to look any of them in the eye, "Musashi took way too much to stop conventionally, so Kongou used herself as a distraction while they hit her with a perfected Vibration torpedo. The blast…killed them both." After taking a breath to steady himself, he continued, "Iona and Gunzou reformed the remnants of the three forces into their fleet, declaring Japan free of the Fog's control. Needless to say, that didn't go over well with the traditionalists."

"The Fog attacked Japan," 402 surmised, already seeing how they would respond.

"It was…bad. Apparently, a decent number of Mental Models defected after their victory over the Scarlet fleet, either heading for Japan or finding their own crews where they were stationed. Either way, they sided with Gunzou in the ensuing war, and thanks to that humanity was actually in the fight again. Eventually, they were forced to call a truce. The Fog hadn't ever had to fight prolonged battles before, and they were unprepared for it. Humanity, on the other hand, was still worn down from the years of isolation. Neither side could muster the resources to strike a decisive blow."

"…And?" Takao pressed, hoping that wasn't the end.

"And that's it," he said, much to her disappointment, "The truce stands to this day, although both sides are understandably nervous about whether it will break or not. Gunzou and Iona are making headway in trying to negotiate a real peace with the Fog, but… I'm not that optimistic. Humanity got a taste of real power for the first time in years, so I don't see them settling for a partial victory after so long."

"So, you're saying our world is doomed?" Takao asked, looking down as she struggled to control her emotions.

"Not necessarily," Allan offered, stepping forward and placing a hand on her shoulder, "Our reports are generated by a combination of direct observations and predictive algorithms. It's entirely probable that Gunzou Chihaya will be able to create a real peace between your people and his."

When she smiled at him, he returned it before refocusing on Avalon. "Now, is there anything else you will need?" he asked.

"…I need to talk with Index," Avalon replied evenly, his left hand clenching into a fist at the thought.

"I had a feeling this wasn't a normal visit," Allan said as he turned and led them into the Archives, "In truth, Index has been expecting something like this for a while now. Although, I have to admit I am curious what you will be discussing."

Avalon just remained silent as they walked. After passing by several isles of shelves, they came to another open area with a truly strange creature standing in it. It was easily eight or nine feet tall, wearing the same white robes as Allan as well as a helm that completely obscured its head and face. The front of it, or what Takao thought was the front, had a small black strip of material that was presumably at eye level. It also had four long, thin arms, which it used to carefully assemble some sort of device it had laid out on the table before it.

Whether it heard their approach, saw them or sensed them by some other means, she didn't know. But as they got close, it set its tools down before standing up straight and turning to regard them. For a second, she thought she saw some kind of purple light through that dark material, but just as quickly as it appeared it vanished again. But, like many things here, the being standing before them was not what Takao expected.

"Ah, splendid! I was wondering when you'd return, Guardian Blade," said a rather high-pitched, synthetic voice.

For a moment, Takao just blinked as she tried to reconcile that voice with the person standing in front of them, only to fail miserably. Her anguish was brought to an end when a machine floated out from behind of the taller alien. The central body appeared to be about as big as her head, but around that were two metal rings that flanked the single green eye in the center. What's more, the center of the rings appeared to be emitting some sort of energy field. She could only assume that it was the reason it was able to float so easily.

Turning to the towering alien, it said, "Thank you, Rel'klo. You may return to your duties."

Bowing, the figure turned and left them alone with this drone. It was at that moment that Takao came to a rather…disturbing conclusion.

"You're…Index?" she asked, pointing at it as the eye turned back to regard them.

"You could say that, yes," it replied as it floated over before looking her up and down, "How curious… a nano-machine frame built around a single core. It's been almost 50 standard cycles since one of your kind stepped foot in my Archives."

"…Index," Avalon began, getting the construct's attention.

"Ah, yes, I suppose it is time we had that conversation, isn't it?" Index asked, floating over to Avalon.

"…You've already looked at my entry in the Archive, haven't you?"

"Of course I have. It's standard procedure for every Guardian."

"Then you already know why I'm here."

"…Yes, I do…however, you won't like what's coming," Index told him before turning to address the others, "I apologize, but could you leave us? This conversation is…rather sensitive."

None of them got a chance to reply as Allan placed a hand on Takao and Atago's shoulders before directing them away. 402 didn't even need prompting, since this construct gave her a very bad feeling. She was an intelligence-gatherer, basically a spy, and her core and body had been honed for that task. As a result, she was far more sensitive to most types of detection and scanning equipment, and she could tell without a doubt that Index had scanned them all when it had drawn closer. But that in itself wasn't what sent off alarms with her, it was the manner in which it'd conducted the scans.

Judging from how collected Atago and Takao were, they likely hadn't felt it, but 402 had. Index hadn't just mapped their physical structure; it had gotten a detailed layout of their Cores. For her part, 402 had tried to shut it out when the scan reached her own core, and Index…just kept going. It was like slamming a door in someone's face, only to have them walk right through as if it was wide open. Her defenses hadn't been breached, or overridden in any way. Index had simply brushed them aside, gotten what it needed, then left her alone. To be so thoroughly defeated by such a simple task was unnerving, and she could only imagine what this construct was capable of if it wished to do harm.

Once they were out of earshot, Index turned back to Avalon before commenting, "You made a good first pick, Guardian Blade. They will do quite well, I think."

"…Is this your intuition, or inside knowledge?" he asked before shaking his head, "You know what, it doesn't matter. I need access to-"

"I know what you want to have, and you already know my answer to your request," Index said, cutting him off, "Information regarding active Counter-forces is restricted, especially for those that are currently engaged with them. I cannot tell you about this version of the ELS any more than I could tell them about you, at least not without proper compensation."

"So, what will it take?" he asked, "The secrets of the TD blanket? The Quantizing theory? Maybe you'd like a copy of the Quantum's blueprints?"

"…You already know those things don't interest me, Guardian," Index replied, floating over to one of the shelves and examining several of the books, "I already understand how your GN drives function in their entirety, and I've seen where your people take them in more…developed Realms. That's not what I wish to know."

"Then what?"

"I cannot tell you that, because it would ruin the results," Index told him before spinning around, "But, I can tell you how to get it. I will give you the coordinates for a specific Realm, and you will travel there by the end of tomorrow."

"That's barely enough time to resupply the ship, let alone train those three!"

"And you will need to utilize your twin-drive machine," Index added, causing Avalon to grow still.

"…Even if I said yes, and that's turning into a big 'if,'" he said, clenching his left hand again to keep steady, "One day isn't enough time to rebuild a mobile suit from scratch, let alone a machine like the Double 0."

"I'm aware," Index replied evenly, floating closer, "That simply means you will have to take the materials necessary for repairs with you."

"But I only have two GN drives! How am I supposed to respond to an attack without the Exia?"

"If I am correct, a day is more than enough time to fabricate a machine of lesser complexity," Index told him as it continued to stare at him, "You did encounter such machines in a previous Realm, if I recall. Kataphrakts, were they? I believe they would suffice for whatever threats are present."

"…You're…asking for a lot," he said, already hating himself for even _considering_ this.

"What you seek is also 'a lot,'" Index replied as it started to float away, "But, the choice is ultimately yours, Guardian-"

"I'll do it," he said suddenly, trying hard not to feel guilty about his promise to Carile. It wasn't even a full _day_ , and he was already disregarding her advice.

"Splendid! I will be sure the appropriate information is sent to your vessel," Index said happily as it spun in place, "In addition, Allan will accompany you in order to record the results. Oh, and I've already sent the Forgemaster a request for a fully-furnished Kataphrakt."

"…You already knew I was going to say yes, didn't you?" Avalon deadpanned.

"I calculated a 74.403% chance you would agree to my conditions given your past experiences. It's good to know my prediction algorithms are still operating within acceptable parameters," Index responded, sounding as if it was the most natural thing in the world, "Now, off with you. I have an Archive to monitor, and you have three girls to train."

Without another word, Index turned around and zipped away to one of the higher floors. Watching it leave, Avalon wondered just what he'd gotten himself into. Index could be sending him anywhere, _and_ it was insisting he go with a considerable handicap until the Double 0 was repaired. Just thinking about that machine made him uncomfortable. Could he really pilot it again, after what had happened the last time?

' _It's not like I have a whole lot of choices,'_ he thought as he turned to go join Allan and the girls. Still, he was less than pleased with this deal.

"So, how'd it go?" Allan asked as Avalon walked up.

"Don't you already know?"

"Index doesn't give details to others," Allan replied, "However he did tell me that I could be accompanying you, depending on how things went."

"Then you'd best pack a bag, Observer. We leave tomorrow."

"Wait, you're heading out so soon?" Takao asked, already worried.

"Index had a few conditions around this request. One of them was leaving within a day, while the other…" At that point, Avalon looked away.

Looking between the four of them, Allan cleared his throat before saying, "Well, I will go and pack what I need. Will noon work for you, Avalon?"

"That's fine."

"Then, until tomorrow," he said with a bow.

Once he was gone, the girls all focused on Avalon again. He was clearly on edge about something, and they could only guess. For Takao's part, she assumed it had to do with Index's conditions, which automatically made her worry. If it was enough to make Avalon feel unsure, then it was likely not a simple problem. But rather than focus on it, she decided to try and brighten the mood.

"So, I guess we're going to have to entertain ourselves while you're gone. Know any good places to explore?" Takao asked, smiling.

"Oh, don't think you've gotten off that easily," Avalon replied, looking between them, "I'm going to need someone to help me repair my other mobile suit-"

"You have another one of those monsters?!" Atago demanded.

"-So, one of you is probably going to need to come along while I scout out the surface," he finished, ignoring Atago entirely.

"Wait, you mean that one of us will have to rebuild one of the suits, on your ship, alone?" Takao asked, just for clarification, "All while you get to explore the surface of a new world?"

"Technically, it's still Earth, just not the same as yours."

"You didn't answer my question."

"…Yes," he said finally, "Even with two GN drives, the Ptolemaios doesn't have the power to make orbit currently. It required at least 3, with all of them executing a Trans-Am. And in spite of the twin-drive's power, most of its abilities don't have to do with raw power output."

"Then what's the point of it, if it's got two of your drives?" Atago asked, already not enjoying where this conversation was going.

"That's not what's important right now," he said as he started walking back towards the gateway, "If you don't want to help me on this, I understand. I can find someplace for you three to stay, and I bet Jay can spare one of his-"

"Did you think I was kidding before?" Takao asked, moving into his path and glaring daggers at him, "I said I wasn't about to let you run off alone again, and I _meant_ that. You really think I came all this way just to sit on my butt here while you go off and have all of the fun?"

"Uh…you do realize only Guardians and Observers are allowed to travel to other Realms, right?" he asked, hoping she wasn't about to just jump into this out of some misplaced sense of loyalty.

"Then I'll just have to become a Guardian, won't I?" she replied, her glare never wavering.

"Why are you so dead-set on this, anyway? It's not like I can't take care of myself."

"…How many times did you almost die when you were on our world, again?" Atago asked with a smirk. It was remarkably satisfying watching Avalon squirm under Takao's glare.

"Once," he said without hesitation, only for Takao to raise an eyebrow in challenge, "…Okay, twice, but that-"

"What? That's what?" she demanded, stepping closer, "That's to be expected, comes with the job, isn't something to worry about since you lived? Just what kind of cliché line are you going to try and use to get out of this? Please, go ahead." When he just sighed and looked down, she smiled inwardly. "Look, Avalon, I get that you probably don't want to trust us since we're...artificial," she continued in a softer tone, "But, just because I wasn't born like you doesn't mean-"

"Okay, let me stop you right there," he said suddenly, placing his hands on her shoulders, "This has…almost nothing to do with that. Yes, I'm worried about bringing you, but that's because we've already seen what the ELS can do to your kind. You'd be taking a serious risk just coming along, never mind taking part in an actual fight."

"Like you aren't," Atago retorted, "If those things are half as brutal as you claim, they'd probably rip you apart far quicker than they would with us. Besides, you're forgetting one small thing, human." Lifting her hand up, she generated a small Klein field with her palm. "We're not as helpless as you are without your machine," she continued, "And besides, wouldn't our collective chances _improve_ with our technology incorporated into yours?"

"…I thought you didn't want anything to do with me."

"Don't get me wrong, this doesn't mean I like you," she said quickly, deactivating the field and pointing at him, "But if Takao insists on tagging along, then I'm just going to have to stick around and make sure you don't try anything funny."

"Atago…it's not…like that…" Takao mumbled, looking down as she blushed madly.

Looking over at 402, he could see the same look in her eyes as he'd seen before. As if she knew what he was thinking, she simply nodded. With a sigh, he started walking again while the three of them followed.

"Alright, if we're going to do this, then there's something you need to know," he said when they reached the gate, "Joining me is tantamount to joining Celestial Being, and there are certain rules that you'll have to follow. Above all others, we cannot allow the secrets of the GN drives to get out when we're in other Realms."

"But you shared the design for your mobile suit easily enough," Takao pointed out, remembering his exchange with Kongou.

"Because, as advanced as it may be, it's still just a frame," he explained, "The GN drives, specifically the kind used by Celestial Being, are what make our Gundams special. So, if it comes down to a choice between a saving a life or saving the GN drive…"

"…We have to prioritize the drive," 402 finished, understanding his motivations quickly. She'd done some discreet scans of his Gundam when they met, and all she'd been able to know for certain was that it was some kind of exotic radioactive decay that was powering the suit. She had absolutely no idea about the specifics, since that same radiation had managed to stop any detailed scans, so she could only guess at the principles behind such a power source.

Looking at her, he nodded gravely before stepping through the gate. 402 was right on his heels, but Atago and Takao hesitated.

"So…does that mean we'd have to let him die if it came to it?" Takao asked, looking at her sister.

"…Probably," Atago replied, "Based on his description, his organization almost sounds like a cult when it comes to these 'GN drives.'" Sighing, she stepped through the portal, leaving her sister alone.

Looking down, Takao tried to square that in her mind. After everything they'd gone through, and after the promise she'd made to herself, would she be forced to watch him die anyway? She wanted to believe otherwise, but if the battle with Hallelujah had shown her anything, it was that the ELS could be incredibly dangerous when they became serious. And considering they only had the two drives, she could understand why he would prioritize them over a person's life, even his own. But, if they were so precious, why did he appear so reckless when he fought?

' _I guess I'll just have to make sure he never gets into that kind of situation,'_ she decided as she stepped through the gate.

* * *

Humming to itself, Index continued its work as it traced an electrical fault in one of the upper level's servers. The information within was very precious, considering it was all that was left of a dozen different Realms. In fact, it was so focused on the task that it failed to hear someone approach until it spoke.

"Three units down, four to the left and half back," they said in a voice that held a metallic echo.

Turning around to regard the new arrival, Index realized who it was and took their advice. Sure enough, it was exactly where the fault was, and Index fixed it in seconds.

"My thanks," Index said as it turned back to the newcomer, "It could have taken me a while to think of looking there. What brings you back to my Archive?"

"…You know why I'm here. So, where is he going?"

"Why this sudden fixation on Guardian Blade? From what I could tell, you could finish this conflict quickly if you stopped toying with him."

"True, I could end him now," the figure replied as they stepped forward to regard the server's many lights, "But, I need to understand why Soran picked him. I know about his past, and there's nothing there that stands out to me. There must be something else about him…"

"I…wouldn't know," Index replied, "Reading organics has always been…challenging to me."

"Please, don't waste my time with pointless denials. You have his recorded history, from birth to his multitude of possible deaths. You know _exactly_ what makes him special, so tell me."

"It's true, I know where his path can lead, and the ends he may face," Index said as it floated up and turned to regard the rest of the Archive, "And while I'm not above giving people a gentle nudge from time to time, I can see no reason why I would share it with you." Before the figure could respond, Index turned back to face them and continued, "In spite of the information you've provided me, I still do not trust you. Your master has kept your futures hidden from me, and that has never boded well for anyone. So, I will tell you what Realm I have sent him to, but I will not share the purpose. What you do with this knowledge is up to you, Almark."

* * *

 **Left with more questions than answers, Avalon journeys to a new Realm with an unknown goal and an untested crew. Meanwhile, the ELS lay plans to end him once and for all.**

 **Next Chapter; The Lightless Realm**

 **Welcome to a world where the dead never truly rest**


	16. Chapter 16

**The Lightless Realm**

Lying in her new room, Takao tried really, _really_ hard not to glare holes into the wall. Finding Gabriel and taking the pledge had been easy enough. The vow itself was actually rather simple; they will work to preserve the life that they encounter from whatever threatens it, regardless of personal feelings or intentions. After hearing it, Takao could understand why Avalon had been as involved as he was before. While that could _technically_ apply only to the Counter-force they were supposed to stop, it was vague enough that you could easily justify weighing in on 'local conflicts,' as it were. But that wasn't what had left her frustrated; it was what had come next.

Being a part of Celestial Being meant they would have to have at least one thing they were responsible for, and what Avalon had in mind for her had been a mixed blessing.

"Navigator?" she had asked, looking at him incredulously, "You're forcing me to stay on the ship? Seriously?"

"I need someone to control the Ptolemy when we're not all there, and it was either you or your sister," he replied, "And to be honest…I'm not sure I trust her with guns that big."

It had made sense, sort of, and Takao had to admit that the thought of controlling an honest-to-God _spaceship_ was very enticing. At least, it had been.

*Takao, you need to fall back!* Avalon shouted as he fired at several mobile suits, forcing them to break formation, *I can't cover you by myself.*

"It's alright," she replied before gripping the command chair as a wave of missiles slammed into the GN field, "I almost have their flagship in range. Just a little…closer…"

*Takao, you have to fall back!*

"I can do this!" she shot back as she lined up on the large carrier. She did her best to ignore the falling field strength, or the fact that she was getting swarmed with mobile suits. After all, her point-defense and Avalon would be able to take care of them.

*Takao!*

"I got-!" she began before an explosion knocked her off her feet.

Turning her attention to damage control, she saw that the field had been penetrated near the engines. Avalon had moved to cover the area, but the Exia could only accomplish so much alone. She grit her teeth as she began sealing halls and venting atmosphere to stop the fires, only for another alert to grab her attention. Returning her gaze to the opposing fleet, she saw that the escort ships had trained their guns on her now exposed hull. They staggered their fire, slamming into the forward GN field and overloading the emitters quickly. Mercifully, one of the blasts hit the bridge and ended the battle in a bright flash as the simulation wound down.

Slamming her hand into the metal as the simulation pod powered down and opened up, she cursed her damn luck. That had been the third battle he'd run her through, and it had ended about as well as the last two. In spite of how far she'd come in regards to thinking tactically, she just couldn't quite get it. To make matters worse, his ship was poorly equipped for combat; the only point-defense were four rotating turrets mounted on either side of the ship, with the main guns fixed in a forward-facing direction.

In fact, now that she'd gotten more of a feel for it she realized that her previous assumptions about his ship were horribly off-base. It really was little more than a glorified carrier, and while it _could_ fight back if forced to it was far from good at it. The only weapons she could really rely on were the missiles it carried, which were much quicker and far more agile than she'd thought they'd be. However, she just couldn't get over how limited her direct-fire capabilities were, and that was just fueling her frustration.

Of course, it wasn't like she was the only one that was irritated by the role they'd been given. Atago had begrudgingly taken on the task of maintenance and development. So, while she'd get to design new weapons for them when time and resources permitted, it also meant she was essentially the mechanic. The plus side was that she had been given full access to the GN drive's blueprints, including the TD Blanket. The down side was she really, _really_ didn't like the idea of getting her hands dirty.

The only one among them that got a role that made any real sense was 402. She'd been placed in charge of the Assault Container, as well as tasked with gathering information when they arrived at new Realms. However, before they even got to that they had to address another issue regarding her.

"As…interesting as it would be to keep using a number, you're probably going to need a proper name," Avalon mused. They were gathered in one of the Ptolemaios' common rooms, with several drinks placed out for them.

"…I can see why my designation would cause complications," 402 said, looking down at her juice, "Humans do not use numbers to identify themselves, and if I am to operate independently I will require a designation that does not reveal my true nature."

"That's…not how I'd put it."

"So, what did you have in mind, Captain?" Atago asked, somehow making the title sound mocking.

"I… haven't got a thing," he replied, almost causing Atago to fall from her chair.

"Why would you suggest it if you didn't already have a name?!"

"Well, I didn't say that _I_ was going to name here, now did I?"

"How about we come up with something together?" Takao suggested, trying to stop them from throttling each other.

"Well, what would you suggest?" Avalon asked, looking at 402.

"My hull was designed after the Japanese Sen Toku-class submarine," she explained, "Would Sen Toku suffice?"

"Ehh… probably not," he replied, rubbing the back of his head, "It's likely that most of the Realms we go to will share most of their history, so anyone looking into you might stumble across that and ask questions."

"Then, how about… Sen?" Takao offered, looking between the two of them, "It's still from your name, I guess, just simpler."

"Would that work?" Avalon asked, looking back at 402.

"Sen…" she said, looking down again. It…felt strange to have a real name. She'd always been 402, spy submarine and direct subordinate of the Supreme Flagship. To have a real, proper name now and not just a designation…

"Uh…are you…?" Avalon began before noticing something, "Wha-? Hey, what's wrong?"

"402, why are you crying?!" Takao asked worriedly as she and Avalon got up and moved near her, "If you're not happy, we can pick something else. How about Sakura, after those Japanese trees? Or maybe-"

"No, I'm…" she began, looking up at them. She had no idea why her emotion simulators were going into overdrive right now, but it felt…good. "I am…" she said, taking Avalon's hand as he knelt before her, "My name is…Sen."

"Well, then, Sen it is," he said, smiling softly at her, "Welcome to our crew, Sen."

"Thank you, Captain."

Looking back on it, Takao had to admit that it was rather touching. She hadn't thought that simply receiving a name would do that to her, but clearly it meant a great deal to be considered as something more than just '402.' But… that didn't make her feel a whole lot better.

They would be leaving for that new Realm in the morning, and while they were carrying a modified Kataphrakt now it didn't improve her mood much. After a rather lengthy debate, she'd 'convinced' Avalon to take her with him and Sen while Atago minded the ship and repaired the Double 0. To say her sister was displeased with her decision would have been a colossal understatement. It had taken almost a half hour of heated debate, and swearing up and down that she wouldn't 'fall for his devil charms,' before Atago would allow Takao to actually go.

But it still didn't make her feel any less useless. She was supposed to be the Navigator for the Ptolemaios, and yet she just couldn't get the hang of fighting with it. Working in a truly three-dimensional space wasn't her problem, she was sure of that much. No, the problem was that his ship was relatively powerless without mobile suits to protect the blind spots. She understood why that would have been true before, when it had a full crew and more than one Gundam. But now, it was just them, and they wouldn't even have the Exia to protect them if it came to a fight.

' _This ship needs to be remodeled,'_ she decided as she turned over and stared at the ceiling. Maybe she could get Atago to look at the weapons in detail and come up with a more efficient design. But that would be a problem for later. Right now, she would focus on keeping them safe while on the surface.

* * *

Sitting at the Ptolemy's controls, Avalon tried to focus on even breaths. While this wasn't his first trip to a new Realm, it was the first time he was going in with no information and four people he was responsible for. Granted, Atago would be up in orbit with Allan, so they would probably be safe. Emphasis on 'probably,' since he had no idea what he was walking into, only that he'd need the Double 0 at some point. That alone told him that Index expected it to get bad, considering what that machine was capable of.

There was only one small problem; Avalon wasn't even sure he _wanted_ to get back in that thing after what'd happened the last time. Remembering the battle at the Africa Tower was bad enough, and considering he hadn't really slept since his conversation with Index spoke to just how much worse it'd gotten. But actually getting back in it, and with the knowledge he'd probably have to fight? He was trying really, _really_ hard not to dwell on it, because the one time he had had almost resulted in him punching Index right in its eye, consequences be damned.

And yet, he would have to go through with this anyway if he wanted to know more about the ELS. At the rate things were going, he'd likely die in the next real battle with them without some kind of edge. But the price…

' _Stop it,'_ he thought, shaking his head to clear it, _'Going in circles isn't going to solve anything.'_

After checking a few of the systems, he looked back at the others. Takao had taken the center chair, with Atago standing behind her and Sen at the station to her right. Allan was sitting in the copilot's chair next to Avalon, looking out at the void with a small smile on his face. While he still wore the robes of his station, the others had dressed in their own version of the Celestial Being uniform. Takao had, unsurprisingly, chosen blue to go with the white and had made the overcoat long enough to reach her waist. Atago had chosen green, surprisingly, and had made her overcoat into more of a trench coat. It didn't seem all that practical to him, but it was her choice. Finally, Sen had gravitated towards the dark purple uniform, modifying the coat so it was about as long as Takao's and also changing her hat to match.

"You guys ready for this?" he asked, noticing Takao's nervous look.

"Y-Yeah," she managed, gripping the armrests. She hadn't much cared for the transition the first time, and she was trying not to focus on what was coming next.

"I assure you, Takao, the Gateways are perfectly safe," Allan said without turning around, "The discomfort is normal. We are, after all, sidestepping several rules of reality."

"Yeah, that inspires confidence," Atago muttered.

Avalon just smirked as he pulled the Ptolemaios out of the docks and turned towards open space. Once they cleared the Station's influence, he felt himself grow lighter as the artificial gravity faded. Thankfully, they were all firmly secured to their chosen spots, so floating around the cabin wasn't a possibility. After a short trip, they approached a new construct. It was triangular, with pillars extending from each point to the center to hold a bright point of light in place. It looked so simple and small, but as they drew closer they saw that it was in fact easily twice the size of their ship.

"Gate control, this is the Ptolemaios," Avalon said as he opened a channel, "Requesting clearance to jump."

*Gate control to Ptolemaios, transmit clearance and destination codes.*

"Transmitting," he replied before looking over at Allan. Without a word, he pressed several keys on his end before sending the information.

*…Transmission received… This cluster is registered as 'terminal.' Please confirm destination.*

"…Please hold," Avalon said slowly before turning to Allan, "Allan, care to explain?"

"I am as unaware as you are," he replied, his smile vanishing, "I cannot even begin to guess why Index would send us to someplace like that."

"And you expect me to believe that?"

"Whether or not you believe it doesn't matter, it's the truth," Allan said firmly, "I know nothing about this, I swear."

"…Goddamnit," Avalon muttered as he turned back and ran a hand down his face.

"…Avalon?" Takao asked nervously, actually a little scared by his reaction. They hadn't even arrived yet, and he was _already_ growing nervous?

"Short version; Terminal Realms are worlds that have almost no chance of advancing beyond a certain point," he told them as he gripped the controls, "It's usually due to exotic phenomena and incredibly self-destructive decisions, and they're the second worse place to go after Dark Realms."

"If you would rather not, I'm sure-" Allan began.

"Gate control, destination confirmed," Avalon said, cutting him off.

*…Copy that, Ptolemaios. Activating gateway.*

"We're going to have to be very cautious," he said as the point of light grew brighter, "Whatever's on the other side of this gate, it's likely to be something beyond our understanding."

"Not making me feel any better about this, Blade," Atago said, trying to hide her nervousness with snark.

Before anyone could say anything more, the Gate began to move. The pillars retracted to about half of their original length as the triangle separated into three sections. Meanwhile, the point of light grew larger and brighter, expanding outward until it formed the same well that they'd seen before. Without prompting, Avalon guided the ship in as the light engulfed them. Takao resisted the urge to shut her eyes as she felt some unseen weight pushing and pulling her. She wanted to see this.

The well looked like it turned into a tunnel, and she thought she could make out faint colors around them in the light. In fact, it was almost like she could see some kind of pattern in them. But before she could be sure, the light faded and they were suddenly in the blackness of space. Blinking several times to adjust to the lack of a bright light, she looked at the main screen as a planet came into view. It was the Earth, and they were far enough away that it appeared to be framed in the screen.

"Well…that's…" Takao said, realizing this was the first time she'd seen the world from so far away. It looked just like the pictures she'd seen back in her Realm.

"Yeah, that's never getting old for me, either," Avalon said as he powered the engines and moved towards the planet, "Sen, you picking up anything?"

"…Basic satellite network," she replied as she worked the controls at her terminal, "Mostly entertainment, with a few military signals. No sign of advanced orbital constructs. There's also an anomaly in Japan."

"What kind of anomaly?" Takao asked, turning to her.

"…Unknown," Sen said, "Information on the network is limited. Even the military channels have little on it."

"Wait, you cracked their military signals?" Avalon asked, worried.

"Their encryption is very basic, and they are unaware of my intrusion," was her reply before she continued, "The only consensus that has been reached is the designation for the anomaly. They call it the 'Lightless Realm,' and according to what records they have no one who's entered it has ever returned."

"Well, that's just great," Atago said with a huff, "You think that's what lightbulb wants us to check out?"

"This world appears to be too young to offer anything else of substance," Allan observed, leaning back, "But this 'Lightless Realm' is intriguing."

"Ever heard of something like this before?" Avalon asked.

"Many phenomena from many Realms have had similar characteristics," he replied, "Death to all that enter isn't uncommon in certain areas of Creation. But, as for this one specifically…" He just shrugged after that, looking at Avalon apologetically.

"Then we're just going to have to go down there and hope," Avalon decided, already hating this.

"…Still not inspiring confidence," Atago muttered as he brought the ship into orbit.

* * *

After separating the Container from the ship, Avalon guided it to the surface while Takao made some final checks on the Kataphrakt. The armor had been replaced with E-Carbon, so it would be able to take considerable punishment. It also carried a semi-automatic rifle with armor piercing and high explosive ammo stored in containers on the hips. Two shoulder-mounted missile pods rounded out the long-range weaponry, giving him twelve anti-armor missiles for heavier targets. Finally, it carried a vibration blade for close-combat. While Avalon didn't really like the idea of relying on older weaponry, they were limited in what they could actually use. Sure, he could have equipped it with GN weaponry, but that would require a storage tank and would have severely limited his operation time.

All in all, he was about as prepared as he could be given the circumstances, or so he had believed. But as they drew closer to Japan, he started to feel uneasy.

It wasn't that he was concerned by what he would face, but…something else. It was like when his Sense warned him about the ELS in Takao's Realm, but not nearly as focused. It wasn't a feeling of impending danger, but instead felt like…

"Is something wrong, Captain?" Sen asked, looking at him as he grimaced.

"…There's something about this place," he said as he gripped the controls, "It feels… wrong."

"…Wrong?"

"It's like… I don't know, but I can feel…anger... and pain…" he said, trying to put this into words, "I can't explain it, but this place… Something happened here, and it was horrible."

"But we haven't even arrived yet," Sen pointed out, "So, how can you…?"

"I don't know," he replied, "But it's been happening for a while. I can…feel things coming. It's like I… just _know_ things…"

"…Curious," was all she said as she turned back to the main screen.

He just grunted in agreement. This Sense, whatever it was, was definitely trying to tell him something. But he just couldn't figure out what it was trying to say, even though he knew that it would be incredibly important.

When they finally were in sight of the anomaly, Avalon started to realize why they couldn't get a good reading from orbit. Whatever had happened here had created an area literally devoid of light, resulting in a massive black dome that was pitch-black and easily miles across. The city around it was completely abandoned, with a number of the buildings crumbling due to damage from some kind of battle or series of battles. However, there was no obvious signs of a military presence, indicating that whatever this was wasn't actively threatening people.

At least, that was his impression. It wasn't a malevolent force, but more akin to a sleeping beast; as long as you did not disturb it, it would leave you alone. And yet, he was going to disturb it anyway. _'Story of my freaking life,'_ he thought as the ship drew closer. Handing the controls off to Sen, he walked down the short halls towards the hanger. Once the door opened, he was met with a rather unusual sight.

The Kataphrakt they'd brought along had received a new coat of paint, with blue dominating the style. The joints remained a dark grey, but the Jump Kit, knees, shoulder guards and feet had been painted black. Finally, the chest had the same emblem that Iori had made for them in white painted across the right upper section of the armor.

"…You got bored, didn't you?" Avalon asked as he walked over, his helmet held to his side.

"Well, we couldn't just leave it that same old grey color," Takao protested, "Besides, it's not like it's going to affect you in combat."

"If I was fighting over the ocean, I'd agree," he replied, "But this is urban, not naval."

"Well, I-!"

"Relax, Takao, it's okay," he said with a chuckle, "If all goes well, I won't even be fighting during this first deployment. Strictly recon, nothing more."

"Because things always go according to plan with you," she shot back as she rolled her eyes.

*Captain, I cannot find a suitable landing zone nearby,* Sen reported of the ship's intercom.

"That's fine, Sen. Just drop me here and find a safe place to set down," he said as he pulled his helmet on and approached the Kataphrakt.

"You sure that's a good idea?" Takao asked, her playful tone replaced with a worried one.

"Something's off about this place, Takao, and I need to find out what," he said as the cockpit opened, "I don't know why, but I know it's important to understand what's going on here. The sooner we know that, the better prepared we'll be going forward."

"Okay, if you're sure…"

He just nodded to her before climbing into the cockpit. It felt strange being in there, since even with their modifications it felt more cramped and cluttered than the Exia. Looking at one of the monitors, he saw that the arms beneath the machine were retracting into the walls in preparation for his drop. This was another modification he'd made for situations like this; the bottom of the bay could fold out to allow the machine it held to drop without a lengthy launching process, ideal for combat operations where time was a factor.

As the doors began to open, Takao left the bay to help Sen monitor the ship. Checking a few of the systems to be sure the Jump Kit was functioning, he prepared himself for the drop.

*Dropping in five,* Sen said as the ship drew closer, *Four, three, two… Drop.*

The clamps holding the Kataphrakt released, letting him fall free of the Assault Container while it continued along. Working the controls, he flipped the Kataphrakt over so it was facing the ground. He was going to land in a parking lot just outside the outer edges of this zone, large enough to allow him to land safely but clearly too small for the Container. As he drew closer, however, he noticed something rather familiar. There were metallic shards growing on some of the structures, mostly around their base. It almost looked like ELS material, but it wasn't giving him the same feeling of danger that the ELS did.

' _Might be something similar to them, though,'_ he thought as he deployed the Jump Kit and angled the jets down. They fired at their full strength, as well as the boosters on the backpack, slowing his decent considerably before setting him down somewhat hard on the concrete. Taking a moment to scan his surroundings, he retrieved his rifle from the clamp on his back and started advancing into the dark. Whatever this place was, and however it had been made, he still had a job to do. He only hoped that this wasn't about to set some new record for crazy.

* * *

Looking at the remains of the Double 0, Atago tried to understand just how Avalon had survived in this thing. Supposedly, it hadn't been touched since it was offloaded at the Nexus when he first arrived, on his request. The other drive had been repaired and installed in the ship, but beyond that the suit had been largely abandoned. That alone was puzzling, since the data that existed on it pointed to it being an incredibly potent weapon. But now… she couldn't even call it a mobile suit anymore. In fact, the word 'remains' fit it quite nicely considering the state it was in.

The right leg was completely gone, severed from the hip along with the skirt armor that had lain around it. The left had lost everything below the knee to some kind of weapon with enough force to cause the metal to melt and bend. The left arm was a mangled mess, with the right being in a slightly more recognizable condition. Half of the head was charred and melted, and that was only the moderate damage to the suit. The chest, on the other hand…

Something had apparently hit the suit in the 'gut,' as it were, blasting several of the plates off and severing the main power lines to the lower half of the machine. The chest was scarred in at least three places from incredibly hot blasts, likely particle beams. One of them had almost penetrated the cockpit, burning through the armor and stopping inches shy of the left side. Altogether, this thing was as close to scrap as it could get without being cut into smaller pieces, and that was without considering the support machine. The 0 Raiser had lost an entire wing, with the main body containing a large hole where the cockpit had been. The other wing looked like it had been super-heated, with most of the metal warped and blackened.

From what he'd told them, this was all from a fight he'd had with the ELS in his Realm. Before, she'd suspected that it hadn't been as simple as he'd implied, but now that she saw the aftermath she knew that it wasn't. This kind of damage could only come from multiple opponents, and there was no way he would have gone into that kind of battle alone. Either he'd been jumped by a superior force, or that 'fight' was much more than he'd let on.

"Such a shame," Allan commented as he came to rest beside her on the walkway, "From what I've heard, this machine was the crowning achievement for his Celestial Being."

"…So, Allan," Atago began as a thought occurred to her, "You know about Avalon's Realm, then?"

"…Yes," he said with a little unease, glancing at her briefly.

"Then, you know his story."

"Even if I did know, I could not tell you were his journey may lead," he said quickly, already seeing where this could possibly be going.

"That's not what I meant," she said as she started directing the Karels, "It's just… I'm curious about where he comes from, that's all."

"I thought you did not like him."

"I don't," she confirmed, "But Takao and Sen seem determined to follow him. If I'm going to keep him in line, a little background would help."

"…Yes, I can see why knowing his history would benefit you," he replied before turning to her fully, "But you must understand something. While I was not instructed to keep his personal history a secret, it is something he finds great discomfort in. The wounds he suffered before coming to the Nexus have not yet healed, so I would ask that you not use this knowledge maliciously."

"…You know, Avalon made you guys sound a lot more troublesome than you're being," she observed, glancing at him, "I thought that I would have to give you something for this kind of information."

"It's true that a good number of the people Index employs are… zealous in their tasks," he said carefully, "But I'm not one of them. I also like to consider myself one of Avalon's friends, and I think that having someone else that knows his tale could help guide him better."

"Did you not hear what I said earlier?" she asked, "Why would I be interested in 'guiding' him?"

"Because beneath your indifference and aggression, I can tell that you're a kind person," he replied with a smile, "And because I'm sure that once you know what he's been through, you will reconsider your own position."

She just scoffed as he turned back to watch the Karels as they worked. Already, they were cutting away the damaged armor and components, stripping the machine of what couldn't be saved. It was likely that once that was done, less than half of the suit would remain. Thankfully, they'd accounted for this and brought enough material to essentially build the suit again from scratch. As they stood there in silence, Allan worked to put the order of events right in his mind. It had been some time since he'd seen Avalon's history, and some of the details had grown dim with time. But he found that the more he thought about it, the more detail returned to him.

"To understand Avalon's history would require that you understand the events that shaped his world," Allan began, "Celestial Being made its appearance on the world stage for the first time in 2307 A.D. One of the major power blocks was showcasing their latest mobile suit design, when the Exia landed in the middle of the testing ground and…"

* * *

Sitting in the middle of what was once a large indoor soccer field was a young woman. She had her back to a massive white tree, with her knees drown up and her arms wrapped around her legs. She'd been like that for almost the entire day, although terms like 'day' and 'night' had lost all relevance for her. One was no different than the other here, so she'd stopped counting them a long time ago. However, that was not what occupied her thoughts. No, it was something much different, more personal.

For you see, after being separated for so long, she'd finally found him again. _Him,_ the one person she'd been the closest to back before. The one boy she'd actually felt a connection with, who'd chosen to run away with the others so long ago. But after so much time, he'd finally returned. It was like fate had brought him to her, since she couldn't have possibly left to search for him. This place needed her, after all, and in spite of her feelings she had a duty to perform. But, still, he'd returned… he'd come back. Now, it was just a question of how to get him to come to her.

She was sure that once they met again, he wouldn't leave her like he had before. He wouldn't do that again, not to her. After all, they were special. They were meant for each other. And even if he didn't immediately understand that, she was sure that he would in time. After all, time had no meaning here, it was just another thing to forget.

Her line of thought was interrupted when she felt her companion stir. The being looked up at one of the walls, groaning and growling slightly in warning. Turning to look in the same direction as it, she tried to understand what made it feel uncomfortable. After all, there was little that could cause the Corpse discomfort. Maybe it was that machine she'd seen earlier? No, that couldn't be it; she was sure that it posed no threat to the Corpse, not alone at any rate. But as she started to focus she could tell that something was indeed different.

The energy of this place was bending and twisting in unfamiliar ways, telling her that something was coming. It was…powerful, that much she could tell by the affect it was having on the metal around her. But she couldn't tell anything else, since her connection to this place wasn't nearly as strong as the Corpse. And if what it felt was enough to make it alert, then it wasn't something she could ignore. After all, he would come to her in time. But until then, she couldn't allow something to threaten their reunion.

' _Corpse, go and crush it,'_ she said, causing the creature to stand up and leave through the hole in the ceiling. Whoever it was that had come here, they were going to learn what it meant to feel fear.

* * *

 **Confronted with a power he doesn't understand, Avalon struggles to resist its influence while fighting for his life. Meanwhile, Takao and Sen encounter this Realm's means to counter this encroaching darkness. But will this discovery bring hope, or despair?**

 **Next chapter; Struggles in the Dark**

 **Sometimes, survival means crossing lines you never thought you should.**

* * *

 **A/N; So, first thing's first, I'm a little curious how many of you caught that name drop in the last chapter. Also, I think you guys can now start to understand why Avalon's been using the Exia so long when he technically has another suit available. I can promise that his reasons are more than, 'he's too lazy to repair it alone.'**

 **Moving past that; since I'm fairly sure none of you know about this universe, I won't make you guess. This second part is going to be in the M3 universe. It's not an amazing show, but I wouldn't say its garbage, either. That being said, it was one of two universes that fit my criteria for what I need to have occur by the end, and as…entertaining as it would have been to pull apart the Eva universe, that show still gives me too many headaches. Anyway, feel free to drop a review if you feel so inclined, just keep in civil, please.**


	17. Chapter 17

**Struggles in the Dark**

Avalon had only been inside the anomaly for a few minutes, but he was already starting to feel odd. This wasn't the same as the feeling he was getting before, which was just uncomfortable and slightly unnerving. Now, he felt almost light-headed and short of breath, even though he knew that he was getting enough air. The only explanation he could come up with was that this place was emitting something, either into the air or as some kind of energy field. Whatever it was, the affects were obvious and likely to grow worse with prolonged exposure. _'Let's just hope I don't run into-'_ he thought before his motion tracker beeped a warning.

Spinning around, he saw some kind of…creature emerge from one of the larger clusters of metal crystals that dotted the area. It wasn't all that tall, barely coming up to the Kataphrakt's waist, but it still approached him regardless. Bringing his gun up, he decided that it was better safe than sorry and pulled the trigger. The armor-piercing round left the chamber and struck true, blowing several pieces from the creature's body but doing little real damage. A few more shots served to sever one of its arms, and it was at that point that it jumped.

Ducking and jumping to the side, he turned around to try and keep track of it only to notice that there were now several of those things coming for him. Looking at the motion tracker, he saw that it was now showing contacts all around him. However, he had somehow missed the warnings, and that alone told him that this place was really starting to mess with his head. Alerts like that were _designed_ to be irritating as all hell purely to get the user's attention, so the fact that he'd missed it did not bode well.

Jumping over another creature, he landed on one of the buildings long enough to push off again and activate his Jump Kit to get some distance. Pulling the magazine out of his rifle, he swapped it for high explosive rounds before cutting loose. Explosions lit up the streets as he blew chunks from these creatures, yet it seemed to hardly slow them down. Whatever they were, it was clear that his current loadout would be useless against them.

' _Yeah, it's time to leave,'_ he thought as he turned and began retreating.

Unfortunately, he only got as far as the next block before something slammed into the side of his Kataphrakt and sent him into an apartment building. Pushing himself out of the damaged wall, he saw another of those creatures. However, this one was _much_ bigger, with long, thick arms and some sort of red eye on what he assumed was the head. That was about all he could take in before it roared and came at him again. Bringing his gun up, he fired straight into its gut and sent it stumbling back with the explosion. Taking advantage of that, Avalon turned and continued withdrawing. It was abundantly clear that this place was far too dangerous to explore blindly, and he guessed that he only had an hour, two at most, before the affects were likely to become life-threatening. He needed to get out.

Of course, that was easier said than done, since from the inside you could only see about a quarter-mile clearly before things started to become shrouded in darkness. Taking a moment to consult his navigation system, he turned about before taking another street that should lead him out of this place. But things can't ever be that easy, as that large creature smashed through the building to his right and just kept coming. Avalon didn't even have enough time to bring his gun around, so he braced himself as it tackled his machine. The force of the impact was enough to light up damage indicators on his right arm, although it appeared that he still had use of that limb for the time.

As it reared back and prepared to drive a rather large claw into the Kataphrakt's chest, Avalon rolled onto his back before firing a missile point-blank. The explosion blew several pieces from it and sent it flying back with a roar of anger and pain, but the proximity also harmed him. His chest and head were hit with heat and shrapnel, although the real damage came when one of the boosters for his Jump Kit took a large chunk of concrete. A quick check as he got back up confirmed that it was too damaged to function, so long jumps were now out.

Looking up, he saw that creature getting back up again and brought his rifle up in response. If it wanted a fight, then it was going to get one. Activating several more missiles, he braced himself as it-

' _Stop!'_

The word was so sudden and loud that it almost made him fire out of reflex. Looking around, Avalon tried to pinpoint the source of the voice but came up empty. Somehow, that one command had also forced the creature to cease in its attempts, something he was sorely tempted to take advantage of at the moment.

' _You will not hurt him,'_ the voice said as several more of those smaller creatures seemed to come from nowhere and steadily surrounded him.

Activating the external speakers, he said, "It's called 'self-defense,' so it's not my fault that this thing decided to jump me."

He had no idea where this person was, or how they were making their voice sound like it came from everywhere. But maybe, just maybe, he could talk his way-

' _You will go with him,'_ it commanded, the tone leaving no room for interpretation.

"…And if I say no?"

' _Then you die where you stand,'_ it replied as several of those creatures took a step forward.

Avalon brought his weapon up out of instinct, but he could do the math easily enough. They had him outnumbered, they could take a hell of a lot of punishment and without the Jump Kit he'd be restricted to pure ground movement. Considering that the big one had proven several times to be capable of keeping pace with him at that speed, and the fact that he was now thoroughly turned around, his chances of fighting his way out were looking about as far from good as they could get. However, there was an opportunity here.

If this voice was the one controlling this place, which seemed rather likely, then he could at the very least learn how this place worked. Even if he couldn't, he'd be in a prime position to bring this 'Lightless Realm' crashing down if things got bad. Had he not been suffering a minor migraine, Avalon would have probably given this more thought than that. But the pain had been steadily progressing beyond a casual annoyance, and it was slowly starting to affect his judgement.

Lowering his weapon, he waited as the creatures stepped back while the big one turned and started to walk away. Taking the silent hint, he followed it while keeping an eye on the others. Thankfully, they didn't move to follow them, so after a while it was just the two of them walking through the abandoned streets. After a few minutes, he considered unloading into this thing and making his way out. However, that thought was quickly squashed as the pain suddenly grew more intense. Putting one hand on his head, he remembered that he was still wearing his helmet as he struggled to focus. The effects of this place were growing worse, and now it wasn't just with time. He could tell that the closer he got to the center of this place, the stronger this feeling became.

He needed to leave. But before he could even try to turn and retreat, the pain assaulted him again.

"Gaahh!" he cried, both hands flying from the controls as he felt like his head was about to split in two, "What…what is it with this place? What's it doing?!"

He didn't even realize that he had still been trying to move forward, and without his attention on the controls to maintain balance the Kataphrakt fell rather quickly. The feeling of slamming into the ground was an almost welcome relief compared to whatever was assaulting his mind. Because now, instead of simply being in pain, he was starting to hear things. There were whispers coming to him now, with only a few words coming through clearly at any given time. What made it even more confusing was that it was in at least a dozen different voices, and it was steadily growing louder.

"Ahh! Make it stop!" he pleaded as he pulled his helmet off and tried covering his ears, but that didn't do anything as the voices and pain continued to grow, "Please, make it stop! Make it STOP!"

Unknown to him, when he opened his eyes, they were glowing.

* * *

Sitting in the main control room, Takao tried really, _really_ hard not to tap her foot in frustration. It'd been at least three hours since Avalon went into that damn black mess, and they hadn't heard a thing from him since. She'd tried to call him back when his transponder's signal began to fade, but by that point the interference this place was putting out had already cut off their communications. And so, she was left to wait while trying to not let her worry get to her. She'd already had to stop herself from running simulations based on what little information they had about this place, but just sitting still and hoping was starting to become torture on its own.

It didn't help that, now that they were closer to the anomaly, she was starting to get a… fuzzy feeling. It wasn't the warm, cuddly kind, but instead it was what she imagined being slightly drunk felt like; she was still aware of her surroundings, both with her own senses and the Container's sensors, but it was…fuzzy at the edges. There was definitely something wrong with this place, and she could understand why it'd been unsettling to Avalon when they were approaching it.

A part of her wanted to take the Container into it to try and retrieve him, but she knew that was foolhardy at best. They had no idea what was in there, or how it would affect their systems. And judging from the few reports from survivors of the Lightless Realm, madness was a very real possibility.

"…He'll be fine," Sen said suddenly.

"WAH!" Takao cried as she almost jumped from her chair. Turning slowly to regard the smaller girl, she tried to keep her composure as she said, "Sen… how long have you-?"

"Ten minutes and thirty three seconds," she replied promptly as she looked at the main view screen, "You haven't left this room since you came up here two hours, fifty eight minutes and seven seconds ago."

"…Is that worry I hear?"

"I am concerned, yes," Sen confirmed, "Your continued concern for Captain Blade will not change our current circumstances. It is also bordering on your observed attachment to your previous human commander."

"This has nothing to do with that!" Takao exclaimed, turning away as her face started to go red.

"Your emotion simulators are disagreeing with your statement."

"Stop looking at my code!"

"As you wish," Sen relented as she turned to leave, "If you do not wish to remain on stand-by, there is something we could try."

"Wait, what?" Takao said suddenly, turning back to Sen as she stopped, "How do you know?"

"I've spent the past few hours gathering information from this world's satellite network," she explained, "It appears that a facility was set up nearby in order to study the anomaly as well as combat its influence. They may have information that will prove valuable."

"Great, then let's get going!" Takao decided as she started warming up the engines.

"Takao," Sen said sternly even as she countermanded her controls and shut the engines down, "This world's technology is comparable to the humans in our own world. If we suddenly appear with this vessel, it will only complicate things."

"So…what, then?"

"I suggest we approach on foot," Sen offered as Takao got up to follow, "If we appear as human, then it's possible we may learn more about this world and how this anomaly works. They may have discovered a method for fighting back that can help the Captain."

Sen's reasoning made sense, and Takao decided that it would be much better than just sitting around and hoping things turned out alright. Besides, she was interested in seeing how different these people would be to the ones she'd known. Who knows, she might even run into alternate versions of Gunzou's crew.

* * *

Leaning back against one of the hanger's walls, Atago watched in mild fascination as the Exia's GN drive was extracted. Without the rather large casing on its back and the various other components, it wasn't that big. And yet, it was made surprisingly well, although going over what they had in the system on its design showed that almost half of the size was simply because they'd lacked the technology to make it smaller while keeping it stable. And while cutting the size down would probably be a good idea at some point, right now she was more focused on completing the Double 0.

The damaged sections had finally been removed after almost two hours of work, leaving very little of the original frame left. To make matters worse, the other drive had been in a semi-dormant state thanks to rather significant damage. She'd already tasked two Karels to dismantle the damaged part of the drive while she went about fabricating the necessary parts.

In truth, she was only paying half attention to the repairs, since most of her thoughts were focused on what Allan had told her.

"So, you're saying this organization was originally founded to end war?" she asked, just to be clear.

"In a sense, yes," he replied as he turned his gaze from the Exia to her, "Although, it wasn't in the way that most people thought. The members of Celestial Being believed that they would end up forcing humanity to only use force as a last resort. To the rest of the world, they simply appeared to be a walking contradiction. They claimed to want an end to fighting, but they employed force to end war, punishing all parties involved."

"That's just stupid."

"I would agree, but I also understand what their founder ultimately intended," he said with a smile, "The intent was, actually, rather simple; give humanity an enemy that they could never beat divided. In doing this, he ensured that humanity would have to unite in order to stand up to the power of the Gundams. That, in turn, would eliminate the need for self-destructive wars between the various nations. At least, that was the intent, but…things began to diverge from the Plan."

"Let me guess," Atago began, glancing at him, "Someone decided to change the plan, didn't they?"

"In a way," Allan said as he looked back at the machines, "Several of the major supporters of Celestial Being realized that, with a few minor changes, they could use the Plan to put the world under their control. One of the main architects of this alteration was Alejandro Corner; he and his family had been plotting to exploit Celestial Being since they were brought into the organization. Through his influence, both within Celestial Being and the United Nations, he was able to obtain the basic design plans for the GN drives as well as the resources necessary to mass-produce them and suits designed to use them."

"Wait, you're saying these things can be built on an industrial scale?"

"Not in the conventional sense, and that wasn't his intention. Alejandro didn't see the importance of true GN drives and settled for the pseudo-drives he was able to make. Their operation time was limited, and they would require periodic recharges to remain functional, but they served their purpose in leveling the field with Celestial Being."

Looking down, Allan took a few moments to organize his thoughts. He wanted to make sure his recounting of this history was accurate, after all.

"The first signs that things were starting to go wrong was when the three major power blocks held a joint military exercise," he said after a while, "At the same time as the exorcise, the Human Reform League leaked information to a known terrorist group, enticing them to attack a nuclear waste storage facility in the area. It was, frankly, the perfect bait."

"Celestial Being intervened," Atago guessed, seeing few other likely outcomes.

"They did," he confirmed, "And in doing so, they brought almost nine hundred other mobile suits down on their heads."

It took Atago a moment to fully grasp the scale that battle must have been at. She'd seen the specs for the various faction's mobile suits at that time, and just imagining that many of them suddenly attacking her was… rather unnerving. She knew from looking at the designs for the Gundams that, while they were powerful in their own right, they were far from invincible.

"I can't imagine that fight went well," she commented, unable to keep some of the unease from her voice.

"It didn't," Allan replied, "They fought valiantly, but the combined forces had the full advantage of numbers. They cycled the units through various forms of attack, from face-to-face combat to artillery and air strikes. Their weapons wouldn't be able to penetrate the Gundam's armor, but the constant combat and bombardment would tire the pilots. In the end, it almost succeeded, but it also had the unintended side-effect of giving Alejandro the opening he needed."

"Just before the four Gundams were captured, four new machines entered the battle." At this point, Allan began to scowl as he recalled what he'd read about them. "They were called the Gundam Thrones," he explained, "And they embodied what Alejandro would have done had he been in charge of the organization. Everything about them was designed to invoke fear, while their designations swept any sense of individuality away. Rather than names, like the Exia and Virtue, they were given numbers; Eins, Zwei, Drei and Vier. They tore into the combined forces, freeing the other Gundams before they all withdrew from the battle. In the end, the combined forces lost almost a third of their number, and they had nothing to show for their efforts."

"That's…rough," Atago muttered. She tried to imagine what that would have been like for her kind, only to realize she didn't really have to. After what'd happened with Kongou's attempt to take out the 401 and its crew, she had a pretty decent idea of what it felt like to come so close only to lose so badly.

"Of course, it didn't stop there," Allan continued, grabbing her attention again, "The Thrones then began their own version of 'Armed Intervention.' But rather than stepping in and stopping existing conflicts, they sought to stop them at their source. Three days after the failed capture mission, the Thrones leveled an HRL military base in the heart of the Russia. There were no survivors, and nothing that was left was even close to salvageable. From there, they systematically wiped various bases from the map, spreading their destruction to all of the nations. It didn't matter to them if you were a major player or a small country barely hanging on; if you had a standing military and at least one base, they flattened it."

"That…seems rather extreme," Atago said, her unease only growing, "I mean, I get being mad they were almost defeated, but leveling entire bases? Killing everyone they came across? That's just…just…"

"I think the word you're looking for is 'escalation,'" Allan supplied, "And it's true, but that was the intent. Alejandro had designed the Thrones, and their missions, to achieve a rather specific outcome. By decimating the world's militaries and further driving home the superiority of GN-based technology, he made it so that when he offered them that technology, they jumped at the chance without a thought."

"Before he made his offer, Celestial Being responded to the Throne's militant actions. Several of the original Gundam engaged the Thrones, led by the Exia and Avalon's mentor, Setsuna F. Seiei. Their confrontation with the Thrones resulted in a split in the organization, and it also led to the pilot of Throne Vier turning on the others. Unlike the other Throne pilots, he'd seen their actions as the travesties that they were, and he decided he'd have no further part in it. After their little skirmish, he broke away from the others. I guess that's what saved him in the end."

"The Earth forces retaliated, didn't they?" Atago asked, although she felt like she already knew the answer.

"They did," he confirmed, "Using the mobile suits and GN drives Alejandro provided, the militaries of the major power blocks ceded their authority to the UN, creating the largest standing military in history. These machines, dubbed GN-X or Jinxes, were able to fight on par with the Gundams. With weapons and armor to match, the UN teams were able to overpower the Thrones and ultimately destroy two of them. They then set their sights on the rest of Celestial Being, who'd withdrawn to space."

"Can't say I'm sorry to hear those bastards got…" Atago began before a thought occurred to her, "You said two of them were destroyed. What happened to the third?"

"Throne Drei and its pilot managed to find shelter with one of Celestial Being's intelligence agents," Allan told her, "The pilot, Nena Trinity, was ironically the one that caused the rift in Celestial Being. Between two of their missions, she…'accidentally' fired onto a party and killed almost everyone."

"…You don't mean…"

"I do," he said, "It was for petty and childish reasons, and two of the other pilots didn't even think about it. The pilot for Throne Vier, however, saw it differently. It's why he broke away when the original Gundams attacked them."

Taking a moment to process what she'd just heard, Atago found that Avalon's home world was much more turbulent than she'd thought; controlled by three national alliances, only to have everything thrown into chaos by one organization. Then that same organization fell to disorder and infighting as one man tried to twist it to his own ends. And judging from how this tale was progressing, she didn't see a good end for them.

"So, how did it go in space?" she asked.

"In a word; badly," he replied, "But there was a silver lining to it all. Alejandro Corner was confident he'd won by that point, since the loyalists to the organization would only be able to rally around the original Gundams. Therefore, if they were destroyed then the only way Celestial Being would survive would be if he allowed it. At the same time, he had already begun positioning people within the UN to begin reforming it into a true world government. Everything was in place for him to assume control of everything, and it was lost by one simple misstep."

"He had assumed that Celestial Being's founder hadn't foreseen the possibility of treachery, so when he tried to seize control of Celestial Being's Quantum Processing System, he triggered a system trap," Allan said before pausing, a rather satisfied smirk on his face, "The program erased all data on the original GN drives from the system, as well as the personnel files on all active Celestial Being members. It also unlocked a previously hidden system within the GN drive's black box, something even his copied drives did not possess. Can you guess what it was?"

"…The Trans-Am," Atago replied, remembering the power it'd shown. The ability to double a given machine's performance, even for a limited time was astounding. Of course, she now knew that it came with serious side effects, but the benefits couldn't be dismissed out of hand.

"Because of that, Celestial Being was able to put up one hell of a fight," Allan told her, "Four Gundams, a handful of support machines and equipment and one unarmed carrier ship against 30 GN-Xs and a Mobile Armor, and they managed to beat the UN forces bloody. Only one of the UN ships survived the engagement, and three of their suits. But it wasn't without cost…"

"…One of the Gundam pilots was killed in the battle, with another captured. Several crewmen of the ship were killed, and the ship itself was severely damaged. Three of the Gundams were so badly damaged that only their drives were salvageable, and the Exia went missing in the end," he said, "The losses were staggering considering what the UN had thrown at them, but it was ultimately declared a victory. Celestial Being had seemingly been destroyed, or at least so badly beaten that it'd take them years to recover. It seemed like it was over."

"But it wasn't, was it?" Atago asked.

"The UN began reforming into the Earth Sphere Federation, reforming the militaries of the major economic blocks into one single military," he said, "But there was friction and resistance, especially from groups who held onto past prejudices. In response to this, the Federation established the A-Laws. They were formed as a private force under the direct control of the Federal Assembly, and they were essentially the Secret Police of the Federation. They found and silenced decent, using whatever means necessary."

Looking up, he took a breath to steady himself. No matter how much he disagreed with what'd happened in Avalon's world, the fact remained that he couldn't change Avalon's past. Not without causing severe damage to his present.

"And it worked," he admitted, "With the critics silenced, the Federation consolidated power and cemented itself as the new superpower. Almost two years later, they began expanding the A-Laws while making their presence known to the public. To the rest of the world, they were the peacekeepers of the Federation, sent in to deal with terrorists and fanatics. But in practice they were the cane, used to beat down and destroy anyone that questioned the established system. It didn't matter if you were anti-Federation or simply an average citizen with some seemingly innocent questions. If the A-Laws had you in their sites, there was only one end for you; death. This was the world Avalon stepped into when he joined the Federation military."

* * *

Avalon had no idea how long he'd been unconscious, but what he did know was that he vastly preferred it to what he experienced the moment he started waking up.

 _Where am I? What's going on?  
_ _What happened? Where am I?  
_ _It hurts so much, make it stop!  
_ _My husband, where is he?  
_ _Suto, where are you? Mommy's worried about you!  
_ _Make the pain stop, I can't stand it!  
_ _Why can't I feel anything? Why can't I-oh, God!_

The voices returned with a vengeance, and it was all he could do to try and force them out. They wouldn't stop; no matter what he tried they just _wouldn't stop!_ Gritting his teeth, he tried to force himself through the pain as he pushed himself up. Unsurprisingly, the Kataphrakt was lying on its side. What was surprising was his surroundings seemed different, but he couldn't focus on that right now. Typing in a few commands, he tried to power the machine back up only to get no response. Emergency power was still functioning, but the main batteries were either down or somehow disconnected. Either way, he'd have to go outside to know for sure and make any repairs.

Rolling to the side, he checked to be sure his sidearm was still there before opening the hatch. There was a slight grinding as the head of the Kataphrakt slid against something outside, but it still moved enough to expose the hatch, which he opened a moment later. Pulling himself out, he landed as gracefully as he could manage before looking around. Something had brought him just outside what looked like a stadium, but that wasn't what really caught his eye. The most striking thing was the trees.

Before this, he hadn't seen a single living thing in here, but now he was seeing glowing white trees. He wasn't sure if they were alive in the conventional sense, or it this was some strange phenomena. Either way, it probably didn't matter. Turning back to the Kataphrakt, he moved around to inspect the pack and the back of the machine for damage. The process was painfully slow, since it was taking a considerable amount of his concentration to try and blot those damned voices out of his head. It was thanks to that effort that he didn't hear someone approaching.

' _So, you are the one.'_

Whipping around, Avalon brought his gun up without a second thought as he finally met the source of that voice. It was a young woman, with long white hair and pale skin, and wearing a simple dress that just barely came to her knees. Her face was a mask of indifference, but he could tell that she was far more than she appeared. His Sense was shouting something to him about this woman, and he wasn't sure it was entirely good. Of course, that was obvious when he considered that this woman was somehow projecting words into his mind, which was the only way he could describe her method of speech.

"Who the hell are you?" he asked, at least trying to project confidence.

' _Lower your weapon, or die,'_ she commanded, completely ignoring his question.

Almost as if in response to her order, that creature from early stepped out from behind one of the nearby buildings before it looked straight at him. However, Avalon had stopped worrying about it the moment it broke his concentration. With that momentary lapse came a new wave of pain and vertigo. His gun clattered to the ground, dropped from limp hands as he bent double and tried to keep from retching.

Whatever this feeling really was, it was _loud_ , loud and powerful. If he'd known this was what his new Sense would expose him to, he'd probably spent more time back on the Nexus preparing for this. As it was now, he couldn't do much more than drop to the ground as his legs gave out.

"Please…" he managed without looking up, "Make it stop… Whatever the hell this is, _make it stop!_ "

Looking at his shaking form, the woman was conflicted. At first, she'd assumed that he was another threat to be eliminated. The way the Lightless Realm reacted to his presence told her that he wasn't just another human, that there was something else there. But looking at him now, and the obvious effect this place was having on him actually made her feel…pity. He wasn't a threat as he was now, even if he wished to be. In fact, based on his reaction to the atmosphere here he'd likely be dead in another hour or so just from constant exposure. So now, it wasn't a matter of whether or not she should have him killed, but if she should take the chance and save his life.

Fortunately, it wasn't even a choice as she walked forward and picked up his weapon.

* * *

 **Alone and at the mercy of a stranger, Avalon struggles to learn just what has happened, both in this world and to himself. Meanwhile, his fledgling crew begins to learn more than they expected while trying to recover him.**

 **Next chapter; Revelation**

 **While survival is never pretty, the question still remains; where do you draw the line?**

* * *

 **A/N; Sincere apologies for how long this took to get out there, but I can assure you that both I and this story are still very much alive. Long story short, things happened in real life that required my attention, and by the time I had time to write again I'd kinda lost the thread for this story. I got it back, though, and I will be trying to continue it to the best of my abilities. I simply ask that you understand updates may be less regular for a little while.**

 **On a slightly related topic; my dumb ass went and watched a decent chunk of Iron Blooded Orphans, and now I'm conflicted; do I use it later down the line, or one of my pre-planned series? I'm actually unsure, and it's kinda irritating.**


End file.
